The OET Reading Sub-Test consists of three separate parts with a total of 42 questions and takes 1 hour to complete.
The three different parts of the OET Reading Test are described below.
- Part A of the Reading Test contains 4 texts on the same topic that a healthcare professional might use in the course of their work. You will have 15 minutes to answer 20 questions that cover a variety of question types about the information in the four texts.
- Part B of the OET Reading Sub-test contains 6 extracts from workplace communications in a healthcare setting. You should aim to spend roughly 10 minutes on this section.
- Part C of the Reading Test contains 2 long passages providing information on different healthcare topics with 8 questions each. You should aim to spend roughly 35 minutes on this section.
READING STRATEGIES
- Unlike the OET Listening Sub-Test – where you must keep pace with the recording to avoid falling behind – you must pace yourself in the Reading Test. You should time yourself while you attempt the questions within this chapter.
- Make sure you are familiar with the OET Reading Test instructions in advance, so that on Test Day, you can focus on answering the questions.
- Familiarise yourself with the different parts of the Reading test, and be prepared for each question type. Use this chapter to build your knowledge of the different tasks in the Reading test, then assess your skills with the practice set of questions at the end of each part. Revisit and revise any questions you struggled with, identify what caused you to struggle with the question, and practice answering similar questions.
- Look out for the important words in the question that can help you to locate the information in the text.
