The OET Listening sub-test takes about 40 minutes and has 42 questions in three parts. It’s the same for all 12 professions, and you hear every recording only once. This page explains what each part tests, the mistakes that cost marks, and gives you a short practice script with questions.

The script and questions here are original practice in the OET format, not official OET material.

The three parts

The accents are mainly British, Australian and American, with others such as Irish, New Zealand, Canadian and South African. On the paper test you get two minutes at the end to check your answers. On the computer test you move through the questions as the recording plays, with a short pause after each question.

Part A: note completion

In Part A you complete a health professional’s notes during a consultation. The notes follow the order of the conversation, and the headings (for example “Presenting complaint”, “Medical history”, “Medications”) tell you what’s coming next.

• Write the words you hear. OET asks you to use the words from the recording, not a paraphrase. If the patient says “a dull ache”, write “dull ache”, not “mild pain”.
• Keep it short. Notes need only the key words. You don’t need full sentences or articles.
• Spelling counts. A misspelled answer gets no mark. British and American spellings are both accepted. Abbreviations are only safe if they’re standard and unambiguous; when in doubt, write the word in full.
• Use the reading time. Before each extract, read the headings and predict the type of answer: a drug name, a number, a symptom, a time period.
• Don’t stop if you miss one. Leave a gap, keep listening, and come back at the end. One lost answer is better than three.

Part B: short workplace extracts

Each extract lasts under a minute: a nurse handing over, a manager briefing staff, a pharmacist explaining a policy. You hear the question first, so read it carefully: is it asking for the speaker’s purpose, opinion, a problem, or what will happen next?

The wrong options often use words you’ll hear in the recording. Choose the option that matches the meaning of the whole extract, not the one with matching words.

Part C: presentations and interviews

Part C recordings are longer and the questions focus on opinion, attitude and reasons, as well as detail. A typical question asks what the speaker thinks about something, or why they mention an example. The questions follow the order of the recording, so if you hear the speaker move on, move on too.

Listen for signposting language: “What surprised us was…”, “The real problem, though, is…”, “I’d have to disagree with that”. These often come just before the answer.

Practice script: Part A style

Read this extract from a consultation as if you were listening. Then answer the questions below. In the test you would hear it, once, and complete notes instead of choosing answers.

Nurse: Good morning, Mr Patel. I’m one of the nurses at the clinic. I understand you’ve come in about your leg?

Patient: Yes, my left leg. It’s been swollen for about four days now, mainly around the ankle. It’s worse in the evening.

Nurse: Any pain?

Patient: Not really pain. More of a heaviness, especially after I’ve been standing at work. I’m a bus driver, so I sit a lot, but I’m on my feet during breaks.

Nurse: And have you noticed any redness or warmth in the leg?

Patient: No, the colour looks normal to me.

Nurse: Have you had anything like this before?

Patient: Once, about two years ago, after a long flight. It went away on its own.

Nurse: What medicines are you taking at the moment?

Patient: Just amlodipine for my blood pressure. My doctor increased the dose about a month ago, from five to ten milligrams.

Nurse: That’s useful to know. Ankle swelling can sometimes happen with that medicine, so I’ll mention it to the doctor.

The questions

Common mistakes

• Writing what you expect, not what you hear. Predicting helps you get ready, but the recording decides the answer.
• Changing the form of a word. If you hear “swollen”, writing “swelling” can change the meaning of the note. Copy what you hear.
• Missing numbers. Doses, durations and frequencies are frequent answers. Train yourself to catch “fifteen” versus “fifty”.
• Running out of time to check. On paper, use the two minutes at the end to check spelling and fill any gaps with your best guess. There’s no penalty for wrong answers.

How to practise

Listen to health podcasts, recorded lectures and patient-education videos with a range of accents, and take notes in the style of OET Part A. Then compare your notes with the transcript, checking spelling. For the full format, read the OET test guide. For pacing across the whole test, see OET tips and time management.