Many candidates struggle with the listening component of the OET. In the OET Listening sub-test, there are 42 questions which are spread over 3 parts – Part A, B and C. This article will concentrate on the skills required to answer questions in Part B and C. If you are interested in how to answer all questions, you can read more about OET Listening Part A guide.
The good news is Part B and Part C consist of multiple-choice questions. Here is a break down for you.
| OET Listening sub-test |
| Section |
No. of questions |
Question type |
| Part A |
24 questions |
Fill in the blanks |
| Part B |
6 questions |
Multiple choice (choose from 3 options – A, B or C) |
| Part C |
12 questions |
Multiple choice (choose from 3 options – A, B or C) |
For each question in Part B and Part C, you have to choose one answer from a choice of 3 options (Option A, B and C). This means that even if you are not sure of your answer, you can still make a pretty good guess and you have a 1/3 chance of getting it right.
This is what you can expect from Part B and Part C:
| OET Listening – Part B & C |
| Section |
Number of listening extracts |
Example of extracts |
Number of speakers/voices |
Number of questions |
| Part B |
6 short extracts |
- team briefings
- handovers
- health professional-patient dialogues
|
1 or 2 speakers |
- One question per extract
- 6 extracts, 6 quesionts
|
| Part C |
2 long extracts |
- recorded presentation
- interview
|
1 or 2 speakers |
- 6 questions per extract
- 2 extracts, 12 questions
|
The skills required to answer Part B and Part C are almost similar. You will need to listen for gist, opinion, and purpose. This means that you need to have a clear understanding of what the speaker is talking about and you are not just picking up specific words or phrases (although you still need to listen carefully to specifics as these will help you with your overall understanding).
Listening Strategy #1:
READ THE QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU LISTEN
Before we proceed to the listening portions, one very IMPORTANT thing you need to remember is to use the reading time well. This is what your test instructions will look like:
Part B
In this part of the test, you’ll hear six different extracts. In each extract, you’ll hear people talking in a different healthcare setting
For questions 25 to 30, choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best according to what you hear. You’ll have time to read each question before you listen. Complete your answers as you listen.
Part C
In this part of the test, you’ll hear two different extracts. In each extract, you’ll hear health professionals talking about aspects of their work.
For questions 31-42, choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best according to what you hear. Complete your answers as you listen.
Now look at extract one.
Extract 1: Questions 31-36
You hear an interview with ….
You now have 90 seconds to read questions 31-36.
For Part B, before each extract is played, you have about 15 seconds to read one question and the 3 options given. For Part C, you have 90 seconds to read 6 questions and their corresponding options. Use this time wisely. It will help you to look out for key words when you listen to the audio.
For instance, take a look at Example 1.
Example 1
30. You hear a patient’s family member expressing concerns to a nurse.
What does the nurse say to prioritize in this case?
- Finding a nursing home close to the patient’s house
- Taking the patient home for treatment
- Respecting the patient’s desires
The key word in the question is ‘prioritize’. What does that mean? It means that something should be given top priority over everything else. Think about it! What are some words you should be looking for as you listen? Here are some we can think of:
- it’s a priority
- do this first
- most important
- primary
- top of the list
- above all else
Now, look at the options, A – C. It is most likely you will hear ALL the options mentioned. You just need to listen for the option that has been identified as the priority.
Now, listen to the audio sample for this portion of the test and let’s see if our predictions are correct. Remember to keep an open mind and listen carefully because sometimes you may predict wrongly and the answer may be something unexpected.
| Nurse: |
Hello, Mrs. Leary. How are you today? |
| Family: |
Uh, a bit overwhelmed. As you know, my husband’s prognosis is not great, so I have been looking for nursing homes. |
| Nurse: |
I see. That can be very difficult for anyone. Have you received assistance from the social worker? |
| Family： |
Yes, but I’m worried about what the hospital has told me. They told me that I have to find a nursing home in the next two weeks or he will have to go home. I just don’t think I am physically capable of providing total care for him. I mean I see what you do, turning him, positioning him. I just don’t know the best place for him. |
| Nurse： |
Have you talked to your husband about his wishes? That should be the most important. |
So, what word was used to signify ‘prioritize’? Yes, the nurse said ‘the most important’. So what did the nurse say was the most important? It was ‘talked to your husband about his wishes’. So the answer should be ‘C. Respecting the patient’s desires’.
Now, you try.
Exercise 1
27. You hear two nurses discussing a training they took on vaccinations.
What do the two nurses agree on about the training?
- The usefulness of a review on certain issues
- That it was not necessary to include some topics
- That not everyone needed to take the training
| Nurse 1: |
So what did you think about that training on vaccinations? The one from last Friday. |
| Nurse 2: |
Hmm, I thought it was okay, but perhaps missing a few things. For example, I liked the overview of the legal issues related to vaccination programmes because that bit is always changing. I found it quite practical. |
| Nurse 1: |
Definitely. What about how to identify an appropriate anatomical site for vaccination? |
| Nurse 2: |
Well, I thought it was quite basic of course, but we do have quite a variety of experience amongst our nursing staff, so I think it might have been useful for some of the newer nurses who have not given a lot of vaccinations. |
| Nurse 1: |
I had not thought of that part before, but now that you mention it… |
A. The usefulness of a review on certain issues
Exercise 2
28. You hear part of a training on communication between providers.
What will be the priority of the new role discussed?
- To improve communication between doctors and patients
- To improve communication between patients and nurses
- To improve communication between doctors and nurses
| Nurse: |
I am here today to introduce a new role at our facility as well as discuss some of the problems this new role is intended to deal with. First of all, the new role is clinical nurse leader. We are assigning a clinical nurse leader to micro-units of around 12 beds throughout the hospital. The clinical nurse leader will primarily function as a liaison between physicians and patients as well as a mentor to other nurses. As you all know, we have experienced a range of problems stemming from poor communication between providers, so one of the main purposes of this role is to get better information flowing faster so that decisions can be made more efficiently and more effectively. We think this will result in patients having a better healthcare experience with fewer redundancies, and in physicians having a better understanding of what happens to a patient when another provider takes over. Some other policies we are … |
A. To improve communication between doctors and patients
Listening Strategy #2:
IDENTIFY THE SPEAKERS CORRECTLY
In Parts B and C of the OET Listening sub-test, you may sometimes hear 2 voices in the audio recording. The first thing you need to be very sure about is who the speakers are. Look at this the question in Example 2.
Example 2
26. You hear a nurse asking a doctor for help with a patient.
What does the doctor suggest be done with the patient?
- To let him rest and see if the pain continues
- To perform an ultrasound to rule out a fracture
- To quickly eliminate a more serious possibility
If you look at Example 2, there are 2 speakers – a doctor and a nurse. The question is ‘What does the doctor suggest…’ So, you need to know which voice you hear is the doctor’s voice. Otherwise, you will be listening to the wrong person. In the test, usually, the speakers’ roles will be made very clear from the beginning.
Now, listen to the audio sample for the above question and identify whether the male or female voice is the doctor.
| Nurse: |
Hello, Dr. Jones. Do you have a minute while I run a situation by you? |
| Doctor: |
Yes, of course. What do you have going on? |
| Nurse: |
I have this patient, Mr. Davis, who is a 91-year-old resident who has been here for several months. So he tells me that he has an ache in his right foot. He thinks he might have stepped on something or twisted his ankle, or he might have got bitten by a bug. I notice that his ankle is reddened, slightly swollen and warm to the touch. Mr. Davis’ temperature is within normal limits and he has strong pedal pulse bilaterally. Right now he seems to be resting comfortably, but he is still experiencing some pain. |
| Doctor: |
I see. It sounds like the first step would be to get an X-ray to rule out fracture. We also need to do a Doppler ultrasound to rule out deep vein thrombosis. That would even more serious than a fracture, and it also means we need to act fast. |
|
|
So, in Example 2, the male voice is the doctor. At the beginning, the female nurse says ‘Hello, Dr Jones’. That is your clue that the second voice (male voice) is the doctor.
In this question, the answer is ‘C. To quickly eliminate a more serious possibility’.
NOW, YOU TRY.
Exercise 3
27. You hear a nurse talking to another nurse about a patient’s treatment.
What does the female nurse want the male nurse to correct?
- How accurate he is in updating the patient’s file
- How often he checks on the patient’s condition
- How compliant he is in following instructions
| Female Nurse: |
Hello, George. I wanted to ask you something about something I noticed in Mr Harris’ file, you know, the newly diagnosed insulin dependent diabetic admitted with pneumonia. |
| Male nurse: |
Okay. Yes, I know which patient you are referring to.
|
| Female Nurse: |
Hmm, I noticed that you did not record the patient’s blood glucose levels prior to each meal yesterday.
|
| Male nurse: |
Um, yes, his blood glucose levels have been the same since he came in, so I decided to save him a few finger pokes. |
| Female Nurse: |
Hmm, well, that is a risk to client safety, and also it goes against the physician order to check glucose prior to each meal. I am concerned about you not following the physician’s order and that client safety might be at risk on other shifts you work. |
B. How compliant he is in following instructions
Exercise 4
30. You hear a conversation between a GP and a neurologist.
The GP has contacted the neurologist primarily because…
- There was some information left out of the patient’s file.
- She is very worried about the prognosis of the patient.
- She was concerned that the notes contradict the patient’s symptoms.
| GP: |
So Dr. Jones, I am calling about the patient I am referring for a neurologic assessment. |
| Neurologist: |
Um, yes, Dr. Salomon. Is this the patient with the weakness and wasting of the muscles of his left hand? |
| GP: |
Yes, in addition to the wasting of muscles in his left hand, he has also noticed cramps in his forearm muscles. The weakness and cramps are most marked after exertion. I also noticed in his last appointment that he has developed some fasciculation in the muscles of the upper arms. It is all there in the notes, but I just wanted to touch base because I am quite concerned about this patient. |
| Neurologist: |
Okay. I have seen the latest blood test results. I will give you a call after I conduct my physical examination. The patient made an appointment for… |
C. She is very worried about the prognosis of the patient.
LISTENING STRATEGY #3:
LOOK FOR WORDS OR PHRASES WITH THE SAME MEANING
Sometimes, you will hear the speaker use the same words as the ones in the question. However, sometimes, different words may be used, so you really need to be prepared for this.
Look at example 3.
Example 3
33. What is the objective of the first treatment approach being researched?
- To have children build up tolerance by starting to eat a wider variety of foods
- To have children build up tolerance by starting to eat small amounts of the allergen
- To have children build up tolerance by starting to eat large amounts of the allergen
| Presenter: |
The first new approach that our team of researchers is investigating is known as immunotherapy or desensitisation. The main goal of this treatment is to see if gradually introducing peanut-based treatments can help children build up a tolerance to peanut. In particular, the doctor leading this study wants to see if children aged one to four years with a peanut allergy can become less sensitive to peanuts by gradually increasing the amount they eat. |
The answer to Example 3 is ‘B. To have children build up tolerance by starting to eat small amounts of the allergen’. However, what you heard and what you got in the question and answer were quite different. Here is a summary:
| What you SEE in the Q & A option |
What you HEARD |
| ‘objective’ |
goal |
| B. ….starting to eat small amounts… |
‘…gradually increasing the amount they eat’ |
NOW, YOU TRY.
Exercise 5
28. You hear part of a post-surgery follow-up at a GP practice
What does the patient want to know about?
- The cause of the pain in his belly.
- The time period before resuming activity.
- The reason he still needs to be taking normal routines slow.
| GP: |
Mr Alex, how are you today? Things going smoothly since the procedure? |
| Patient: |
Hmm, yes, I mean I am sore, but feeling better. |
| GP: |
So you had a laparoscopic appendectomy, so there should be little or no scarring. So let me check your abdomen. So I can see the tiny incision points, but there is no sign of infection. So have you experienced any pain? |
| Patient: |
Hmm, I feel a little pain in my belly, but it is getting better each day. My doctor warned me about it. |
| GP: |
Yes, that is likely due to the carbon dioxide gas still in your belly. So everything looks like it is going well. Do you have any questions? |
| Patient: |
I wanted to know when I can get back to my normal routine. |
| GP: |
So you are now 3 days post-op, so you will need to wait at least another 5 to 6 days before getting back to your normal routine. But be sure to take it slow at first so that… |
B. The time period before resuming activity
Exercise 6
30. You hear a hospice nurse explaining intake protocol for new patients.
The protocol is designed to
- Help the patient make decisions about his/her own health care
- Support the family of a patient to make decisions about care
- Give information about the purpose of hospice and palliative care
| Nurse: |
Over the next 48 hours, I will have a series of meetings with you to explain the options and assist in decision-making choices for your loved one. Other team members include the hospital palliative care team, the nursing staff, the physician, the chaplain, and the social worker, all of whom will also take part in these meetings. The first meeting will cover prognosis, code status, and treatment options, and the second meeting will cover nutrition, hydration and treatment of any concurrent illnesses. Then we will have a meeting discussing palliative care and hospice as well as the scope of available resources. The fourth and final meeting will introduce the concept of de-escalating care, initiation of comfort measures, and the involvement of family and friends. You will have the opportunity to ask questions at each session. We will also… |
B. Support the family of a patient to make decisions about care
LISTENING STRATEGY #4:
INTERPRET WHAT YOU HEAR
Finally, the most challenging part of the OET Listening sub-test is having to listen and interpret what you hear at the same time. This means you have to try and guess that the speaker’s opinion is.
Look at Example 4.
Example 4
37. According to the speaker, the most important challenge facing dermatology is…
- The financial aspect of seeking treatment
- The low priority placed on the specialty
- The lack of contributions made by the specialty
| Presenter: |
But even bigger challenges loom ahead for our specialty. We must all ask ourselves how dermatology will fit into the big picture as national health care priorities focus on large scale public health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression. In this crowded field of overwhelming public health crises, we must make the case for dermatology. |
The answer to Example 4 is ‘B. The low priority placed on the specialty’. However, you do not hear this explicitly at all in the audio other than the word ‘priority’. Instead, you are expected to interpret what you hear. We sum it up for you here.
| What you HEARD |
Logical interpretation |
| …priorities focus on large scale public health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression |
Since the focus is on other things, and NOT dermatology, then dermatology must be given LOW priority |
| …we must make the case for dermatology. |
‘We must make the case for dermatology’ means that we need to make an effort to make it more prominent, so that means it must have been given LOW priority in the first place |
NOW, YOU TRY.
Exercise 7
37. Why does the presenter give statistics about tooth decay?
- To help the audience understand the scope of the problem
- To help the audience understand the cost of the problem
- To help the audience understand possible short-term solutions
| Speaker: |
Hello, everyone. Today I am here to talk about a very simple, and low cost way of reducing the risk of further tooth decay in young children by more than a quarter. Yes, by more than a quarter. So first let me back up a bit and tell you about the statistics that prompted this research as well as the research that helped us come to this finding.
First of all, nearly a quarter of all five-year olds in the United Kingdom experience tooth decay. In particular, children from the most deprived areas have more than twice the level of decay than those from the least deprived.
Another statistic that some of you may not be aware of is that tooth decay is the single highest reason for children to be admitted to hospital, with nearly 34,000 children aged nine or under admitted to hospital to have teeth extracted in the last year. |
A. To help the audience understand the scope of the problem
Exercise 8
27. You hear part of a training about sports nutrition.
Who is the audience for the training?
- The training is for professional athletes training for competitive sports
- The training is for general practitioners involved in helping athletes recover from sports injuries
- The training is for dietitians who may be referred by a general practitioner
| Speaker: |
So today’s training will examine how poor nutritional intake affects an athlete’s ability to train, recover from training, compete and continue to compete. Dietitians can play an important role in supporting general practitioners and athletes by doing a full dietary analysis to help make recommendations for short, medium and long term health and training goals. So, um, we will start off by looking at a case study of an athlete training for a trail marathon. The athlete wanted to assess his macro and micro nutrients to ensure he was obtaining good nutrition. Based on his training regimen, we calculated that his daily caloric intake should be between 3060 and 3363 kcals, which was higher than what he was currently taking in. As far as macronutrients, we found that he needed to increase his intake of carbohydrates and lower his intake of fats. When we looked at vitamin and mineral intake, he was mostly meeting the required levels, apart from Vitamin D. So we recommended… |
C. The training is for dietitians who may be referred by a general practitioner
***
And there you have it! Simple tips to help you in Part B and Part C of the OET Listening sub-test. You will need to practice more in order to get used to it. As you do more practice, you will get better at it so that by the time you sit for the test, you are comfortable utilizing all the listening skills required for the test. If you need sample OET Listening tests, check out the Benchmark OET Listening Practice Tests.
Additionally, for OET Preparation Material for Nurses , OET Preparation Material for Doctors, OET Preparation Matrials For Physiotherapy and OET Preparation Matrial For Pharmacy these resources can provide valuable practice for both the listening and other subtests.
