OET Listening format explained: Parts A, B and C

Two recordings of a healthcare professional and a patient, each about 4.5 to 5 minutes, each with 12 note completion questions, worth 24 of the 42 marks in total. You get 30 seconds to look at the notes before each recording starts.

This part is marked by human assessors. Write only what you actually hear: adding extra information, changing a word's form, or contradicting yourself can cost marks, even when the underlying fact is correct. Both UK and US spellings are accepted.

Six short recordings of workplace interactions, about 45 seconds each, one three option multiple choice question per recording, worth 6 marks. You get 15 seconds to read the question before each recording, and a few seconds after to select an answer.

This part paraphrases rather than repeats key words, so matching on vocabulary alone is a common trap. Listen for the full meaning of an option, not just a familiar word that happens to appear in the audio.

Two recordings of a presentation or interview, professional development in style, each about 4 to 5 minutes, each with six three option multiple choice questions, worth 12 marks. You get 90 seconds to read all six questions before each recording starts.

Listen for signposting language such as let's move on to or that brings me to, and for words that reverse meaning like but or however. Keep listening even after you think you have heard the answer, since distractor options often share vocabulary with the correct one.

Every correct answer is one mark; your score out of 42 converts to the 0 to 500 scale, and grade B typically needs at least 30 of 42. Checking time depends on your test format: OET Test on Paper gives 2 minutes at the end of the whole sub-test, while Computer and OET@Home instead give a short pause after each individual question.