How does the Listening Part A task work?

Part A of the Listening sub-test consists of a recorded consultation between a health professional and a patient. You will be given an answer booklet for this task with various headings above a space where you can write notes. As you listen to the dialogue between patient and professional, you must record notes beneath the headings. Your notes should relate to the headings and be only the most important information you hear.

Although you will hear the conversation only once, there will be pauses during the recordings allowing you time to write your notes. It’s important to know that longer pauses in the recording likely mean the end of each numbered question. This is a good time for you to go back and make sure you have written notes under each of the headings in the question. The information you’ll need for your notes will be provided to you in order, so make sure you follow along instead of jumping to ahead or back while you are listening. In this part of the test you can use either pen or pencil. Overall this task will last about 20 minutes.

Example of the OET Listening Part A task

Below is a sample of the format for the headings and note taking space you will be completing. Keep in mind that you must only write what you think is the most important and specific information in your notes, not just the general ideas.

This practice content was obtained from the official Cambridge OET website. For more free, downloadable practice content, visit: https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org

How does the OET Listening Part B task work?

In Part B of the listening sub-test, you will listen to a recording of a talk or lecture about a health-related issue. You will be given an answer booklet and while you listen to the monologue you must fill in the answers to a number of questions presented in several formats (i.e. note taking, true/false, sentence completion, multiple choice etc.). In total this task will take about 30 minutes.

Before the recording begins, you will have some time to skim all of the questions to get an idea of the format. You will hear the monologue only once, and it is important to remember not to jump backwards or ahead because the questions will be in order. You can use a pen or a pencil to fill in your answers. If you make a mistake in your response, you don’t have to worry about erasing it; simply cross it out and write your new answer. This will save you time.

Example of the Listening Part B task

Below is a sample of the question format you will encounter in Part B. In this case, you would be listening to a lecture about cardiac investigations and must fill in the correct answers to each question as you listen. Remember, each question may be formatted differently, so it’s important to look over your answer booklet before you begin the task so that you know what to expect.

This practice content was obtained from the official Cambridge OET website. For more free, downloadable practice content, visit: https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org

OET Listening

Q: How is this section structured?

A. This section is broken into two parts, each containing one task.

Part A is a recording of a simulated professional-patient consultation (about 15 minutes) with note-taking questions. You must create case notes (under the correct heading), and write down all of the relevant information that you hear about the patient in the recording. You’ll have 25 minutes in total for this task.

Part B consists of a lecture or talk on a health related topic that will last about 15 minutes. You must answer a series of short answer/ note-taking questions based on what you hear in the recording. You will have 25 minutes in total for this task.

Q. What skills are being tested in this section?

A. Part A is aimed at assessing your ability to pinpoint and organize critical information in a healthcare setting. This means that you recognize which aspects of the recording are relevant to your patient’s health, and you understand where to put this information.

Part B is assessing whether or not you understand specific information presented to you in English. You must be able to listen for the information that fits each question appropriately and ignore any extra information presented to you.

Q. How many times will I have to do each task?

A. You only have to complete each task only once.

OET Listening FAQs

How are marks for the Listening sub-test distributed?

There are a total of 42 marks available in the Listening sub-test. Part A accounts for 24 marks, Part B accounts for 6 marks, and Part C accounts for 12 marks.

Why are various accents used in the audio recordings for OET Listening?

Across all three parts, a range of accents are used to reflect the global nature of the healthcare workforce. The main accents are: Australian, British, American, and other varieties such as New Zealand, Irish, Canadian, South Africa, etc.

Where do I write my answers for the Listening sub-test?

For Part A, you must write your answers in the space provided in the question booklet.

For Part B and Part C, you must shade the lozenge next to the appropriate answer. Answers written elsewhere in your booklet will not be marked.

It is a good idea to use the sample tests to familiarise yourself with the different task formats you will find in the test.

Do I have time to check my answers for the Listening sub-test?

Yes, you will have two minutes at the end of the sub-test to check your answers for all three parts of the sub-test. You will listen to each part of the test once only, so you must write your answers in the question booklet as you listen.

Do I need to write down exactly what I hear?

In Part A (the consultation), you must complete the notes using the same words you hear on the recording. You should not paraphrase the information and you should not change the information.

Can I use abbreviations in the Listening sub-test?

You can use abbreviations that are commonly accepted in your profession and which are clear to other professionals, for example “BP” for blood pressure. However, you should avoid abbreviations that are specific to a particular workplace or specialism, because these might not be commonly understood. OET assessors are trained to accept a reasonable range of abbreviations, but OET does not refer to any specific dictionaries or lists.

Do I lose marks if I give incorrect or extra information in the Listening sub-test?

There is no penalty for including information that is not in the marking guide. However, you will lose marks if you contradict yourself or make your meaning unclear.

Do I lose marks for spelling mistakes in the Listening sub-test?

In the Listening sub-test, you will not be penalised for misspelling, provided the meaning is clear to other healthcare professionals. Any reasonable attempt at spelling the correct answer has a good chance of being accepted.

Names for conditions and medications are often difficult to spell, and we try to ensure that candidates are not disadvantaged by this. Where possible, reference is made in the audio recording to both the generic and brand names for medications, and to both medical and lay terms discussed during the consultations. The marking guide gives assessors extensive guidance on the range of misspellings which are to be accepted.

Please note that the Listening sub-test is different from the Reading and Writing sub-tests in the way misspellings are treated.

How many questions do I need to get correct for the OET Listening sub-test?

New listening tests are written for each test session incorporating new material and the grade boundaries are adjusted slightly for each test to allow for minor differences in the difficulty of items included in that particular version.  The number of marks needed to secure grade B will therefore vary. However, test-takers awarded grade B (a scale score of 350) will typically have a score of at least 30 marks.