OET Listening Tips and Strategies for Nurses, Doctors and Others

Here are the tips and strategies to help you ace your OET listening test at a goal

 When the recording starts, use the time allowed to look through the questions carefully.
 Scan the headings and questions so you know what to listen out for .
 Use prediction skills – e.g., what vocabulary is likely to come up given this topic.
 Don’t write full sentences; make notes and be sure they are clear and unambiguous.
 To save time use common abbreviations and symbols such as BP for Blood Pressure or an arrow for increase and decrease. This is acceptable in the exam.
 Write clearly, don’t make it difficult for the assessor to read your responses as you may not get all the marks you could.
 Keep looking ahead at what is coming up (on the next page too).
 Use the pauses in the recordings to finish writing, review, and prepare for the next section.
 Use the space provided for answers and the number of marks available for each question to guide you about how much information to include.
 Don’t lose your place during the test; remain focused on each question.
 Check the format of each question: e.g., sentence completion; note-taking or listing; table or diagram completion; true-false or multiple-choice questions.
 Look for any simple spelling errors that may accidentally change the meaning of your answer (‘message’ for ‘massage’, ‘bills’ for ‘pills’, etc.).
 If a page is messy, use clear marks (e.g., arrows) to show which answer belongs to which question or heading.
 Practice, Practice, Practice! This is the most important aspect of improving your ability to take notes. The more you practice the better you will able to take notes and listen at the same time.
 Build your vocabulary. When you encounter new words, find out the meaning and write them down in a vocabulary booklet.