Listening: Format & Strategies

How is the OET Listening sub-test structured?

• AThree parts over about 40 minutes with 60 questions, all of them multiple choice and worth one mark each, with no note completion
• BFour parts over about 30 minutes, one for each profession group, with 10 questions in each part
• CTwo parts over about 60 minutes with 42 questions: a consultation and a lecture, each worth 21 marks
• DThree parts over about 40 minutes with 42 questions: Part A is worth 24 marks, Part B 6 marks and Part C 12 marks✓

Answer: OET's Listening guidance gives a total of 42 marks: 24 in Part A (the consultation extracts, answered by completing notes), 6 in Part B (short workplace extracts) and 12 in Part C (presentations or interviews), in a sub-test of about 40 minutes.

How many times is each Listening recording played, and when should you write your answers?

• AEach part is played twice, so you can listen first and write on the second playing
• BEach recording can be replayed on request, so answers are written at the end
• CEach part is played once only, so you write your answers as you listen✓
• DPart A is played twice and Parts B and C once, so only Part A can be answered afterwards

Answer: OET states that you listen to each part of the test once only and must write your answers in the question booklet as you listen. There is no second playing and no replay.

In Listening Part A, the recording says 'she's been getting cramps in her calves at night' and the notes read 'Symptoms: ____ in calves at night'. Which answer scores?

• Acramping pain
• Bleg cramps
• Cmuscle spasms
• Dcramps✓

Answer: Part A must be completed using the same words you hear. OET warns that you lose marks if you paraphrase, repeat words that are already in the notes ('calves', 'at night'), or add information that is not in the recording. The single word from the recording is the answer.

Where do you record your answers in the Listening sub-test?

• AAll three parts by shading a lozenge, since every question in the sub-test is multiple choice in every delivery mode
• BPart A on a computer screen and Parts B and C in the question booklet, whichever delivery mode you have chosen to take
• CPart A in the spaces in the question booklet; Parts B and C by shading the lozenge next to the chosen answer✓
• DAll three parts in a separate answer booklet that is handed out after the recordings end, with ten minutes to copy answers across

Answer: OET's guidance is explicit: Part A answers go in the space provided in the booklet, Parts B and C are answered by shading the lozenge, and answers written elsewhere in the booklet are not marked.

Can spelling mistakes cost marks in the Listening sub-test?

• AYes — there is more flexibility than in Reading, but marks can still be lost, and common medical words such as 'diabetes' should be spelled correctly✓
• BYes — every answer must be spelled perfectly, exactly as in the Reading sub-test, or it scores nothing
• COnly for drug names, which must match the recording letter for letter; other words are marked on meaning
• DNo — Listening is marked purely on whether the meaning is clear, so spelling is never taken into account

Answer: OET says that while there is more flexibility in Listening than in Reading, you may lose marks for spelling mistakes, and that you should be able to spell medical words that are widely used by the public, giving 'diabetes' and 'cholesterol' as examples. Grammar mistakes can also cost marks.

How much time is there to check Listening answers, and does it depend on how you take the test?

• AOn computer the whole recording can be replayed once at the end; on paper there is no checking time
• BThere is no checking time in any mode, because the recordings run continuously from start to finish
• COn paper there are two minutes at the end to check all three parts; on computer or OET@Home there is a short pause after each question instead✓
• DThere are ten minutes at the end in every mode, during which the booklet may be re-read but not the recording

Answer: OET's Listening guidance distinguishes the modes: two minutes at the end of the sub-test on paper, and a short pause at the end of each question on computer or at home. In neither case is anything replayed.

Roughly how many of the 42 Listening marks does a candidate awarded grade B usually have, and why does the exact number vary?

• AExactly 30, because the boundary is fixed by the regulators who accept the test
• BAt least 21, because grade B represents half marks on every sub-test
• CAt least 38, because grade B is the second-highest grade and requires near-perfect accuracy
• DAt least 30, but the boundary moves slightly for each test version because new material is written for every session✓

Answer: OET states that test-takers awarded grade B (a scale score of 350) typically have at least 30 marks, and that grade boundaries are adjusted slightly for each version to allow for minor differences in difficulty, so the number needed varies.

Is the Listening sub-test different for each of the twelve professions?

• AYes — every sub-test, including Listening, uses recordings from the candidate's own profession
• BNo — Listening and Reading are common to all professions; only Writing and Speaking are profession-specific✓
• CNo — all four sub-tests are the same for everyone, with the candidate's profession noted only on the Statement of Results
• DYes — Part A is profession-specific and Parts B and C are common to all candidates

Answer: OET describes Listening as covering topics of generic healthcare interest and accessible to all candidates across all professions; Reading likewise draws on a variety of professions. The Writing letter and the Speaking role plays are the parts set for the candidate's own profession.