While there is more flexibility in the Listening sub-test than in the Reading, you may lose marks for spelling mistakes. Accurate spelling demonstrates an understanding of sounds and sound formation in speech. Don’t forget that in a real-life setting, accurate spelling is crucial in medical record keeping and the OET Listening test works to reflect real-life application as much as possible.
Listening
Listening
Everything you need to know about the Listening sub-test
About Listening
Time
Approximately 40 minutes
Marking
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.
Test structure
Part A – consultation extracts, Part B – short workplace extracts, Part C – presentation extracts
Videos for Listening
Explore a wide range of video resources and tutorials to build on your knowledge of the Listening Sub-test.
Listening FAQs
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.
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 African, etc.
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.
Knowing how a word can change in spelling depending on grammar (i.e.: doubling the consonant when adding +ing, including s for plural forms of countable nouns) is evidence of your proficiency in English, which is what is being assessed. Remember to make use of the time provided to check your answers to look for grammar mistakes and correct them.
When it comes to medical terminology, you should be able to show that you can spell words that are commonly used. The best way to think about this is to consider medical words or phrases that are widely available to the public i.e., diabetes or cholesterol.
If you take OET on paper, you will have two minutes at the end of the Listening sub-test to check your answers for all three parts of the sub-test. If you take OET on computer or OET@Home, there will be a short pause at the end of each question to check your answers. You will listen to each part of the test once only, so you must write your answers in the question booklet as you listen.
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.
In Part A, you must complete the notes using the same word or short phrase that you hear in the recording. You will lose marks if you repeat the words from the notes, add information that is not in the recording, or if you contradict yourself or make your meaning unclear.
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.
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