OET Listening Samples – How to Practice OET Listening

The Listening component of the OET exam is focused on evaluating a wide variety of listening skills, such as your ability to select specific information, grasp details, opinions, a summary, or the aim of the speaker. It is accomplished in three parts and comprises excerpts from consultations, brief extracts of workplace conversations, and excerpts from presentations. The subtest consists of 42 questions and the length of the listening audio comes up to around 40 minutes in entirety, which includes recorded speech and brief interludes in between to permit you to write the answers. Each recording will be played only once and you are supposed to note down your answers at the same time.

This article will provide you with an OET listening sample along with information and tips about how to approach the listening subtest of the OET exam.

Format of the OET listening subtest

The OET listening subtest has three parts. Part A features excerpts from consultations between healthcare professionals and patients. These speech extracts are around 5 minutes long and the task here is to fill in the notes made by the health professional using details from the extracts that you hear.

Part B features short speech clippings from a healthcare workplace setting. There will be six recorded audio clips of about a minute in duration. These could involve conversations between patients and healthcare professionals, team briefings or handovers. Your task here is to identify the purpose of the clipping as well as form a brief summary or select pertinent details or opinions inferred from the excerpt.

Part C features clips from presentations and evaluates your skill in being able to comprehend the recorded presentation or interviews as you hear them. These will be on topics of interest to the healthcare professions. You will have to attend to two disparate audio clippings of five minutes duration each and accordingly respond to six multiple choice questions based on them.

Tips for OET listening subtest

• Read questions before listening to the audio: There will be time for you to read the questions before the audio clip is played. Familiarising yourself with the questions will allow you to look out for what might be said in the extract. Reading through the questions will also provide you with a sense of preparedness for listening to the clipping.
• Pay attention when listening to the audio: Devote your full concentration to the clip when listening to it. You will hear a beep before every extract. Listening as attentive as possible will allow you to keep track of key details as they are mentioned in the extract.
• Notify the invigilator in case of any problems with the audio: Before the subtest commences, a staff member will check your audio if you are taking the paper version of the OET or ask you to check the audio and ensure it is working properly, in case of the computerised version. However, if a problem arises and you find yourself being unable to hear the extract, bring it to the notice of the invigilator straight away so that they are able to help you out and your exam performance is not hampered.
• Bear in mind the order of the questions: The audio clips of the OET listening subtest are played in sequential order and are structured in the same order as the questions. This helps you stay alert and look out for the responses as the clips are being played.
• Progress through the questions: Since the audio clip is played only once and is not repeated, you have to move along from one question to another with the audio. Do not stop if you get stuck at one question because then you might end up missing several others in a row as the clip moves on.
• Familiarise yourself with common terms and abbreviations: As a healthcare professional, it is expected for you to be familiar with the common terms and abbreviations that are used within your profession and be able to use them in appropriate contexts. Familiarity with healthcare terminology will help you comprehend the clips better.
• Do not get distracted: Try not to get distracted when listening to the audio clipping since it is played only once and you might miss out on answering questions. Pay close attention to the content of the audio files and tune out all other possible distractions.
• Prepare by listening to videos or audios: When making preparations for the OET subtest, try listening to a range of audio clips and videos about healthcare and by healthcare personnel so that you develop familiarity. The best way to do this is to find an OET listening sample and practice listening to it.

OET listening sample

Listen to the audio for listening sample.

Part A

In this part of the test, you’ll hear two different extracts. In each extract, a medical professional is talking to a patient during a consultation. For questions 1-24, complete the notes with information you hear. Now, look at the notes of extract one.

Extract 1

You hear a cardiologist talking to a patient called Rosie Clarkson.

• Patient : Rosie Clarkson
• Onset of symptoms (July)
• Aware of full ache in 1 ______________
• Attributed to spending too long at her desk

Last Sunday

On exertion, noticed

2_______________ in hands and feet

3 ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________ and breathlessness

4 _______________ sensation in both arms

Last Monday

GP found sore areas, suggesting a 5 ______________ problem

6 ______________ abnormal, referred to emergency department

Blood test, chest x-ray, blood pressures – normal

7 _______________ triggered chest pain, referred to cardiologist

General Health

Goes 8 ____________ and suffering regularly

Non-smoker BMI 25/ normal 9 ___________

No family history of heart diseases

Personal background

Married, one daughter

Worked as 10 _____________

Medical history

11 ______________ following routine screening (4 years ago)

Followed by 12 _____________

Extract 2

You hear an osteopath talking to a patient called Joe Parr.

Patient: Joe Parr

Age: 62

Current symptoms

Pain started in 13 _________________

Gradual worsening over two months

Soon moved to lower back 14______________

Now widespread leads him to feel uncharacteristically 15 _______________

Recent onset in 16 _______________ (mobility affected)

Other

Eye described as 17 ______________ and sore

Vision sometimes blurred

Loss of appetite

GP diagnosis

18 ____________ (confirmed by initial blood test)

Some people inflammation of 19 _____________

Self-help measures

20 ____________ (partially effective)

21 _____________ now stopped)

Recent use of friend’s 22 _____________

Background

Father recently deceased (Lung cancer)

Mother healthy

Work as a 23____________ (pain impact on job)

Has given up 24 ___________ as a leisure activity

Part B

In this part of the test, you’ll hear six different extracts. In each extract, you will hear people talking in a different healthcare setting. For questions 25-30, choose the answer (A, B, or C) which fits best according to what you hear. You will have time to read each question before you listen. Complete your answers as you listen. Now, look at question 25.

25 You hear a hospital nurse talking to a patient about how to manage his catheter after discharge. The patient is unsure about

A Whether it is his responsibility to keep the catheter clean.

B The type of personnel hygiene products he should use

C If his bathroom is suitably equipped.

26 You hear the manager of a residential care home for the elderly telling staff about the result of a recent inspection. What safety issue did the inspectors identify?

A The lack of a system for investigating some types of injury.

B The administration of medicines without proper supervision.

C A failure to comply with the procedures for reporting accidents

27 You hear a nurse mentor in an intensive care unit talking to a student nurse about a patient.

A Outlining several routine procedures

B Explaining how a minor problem should be addressed

C  Demonstrating a type of therapy that needs to be carried out

28 You hear an emergency doctor talking to his team about using bedside ultrasound machines. Why is he talking to them?

A To clarify procedures for using one correctly

B To establish when it’s inappropriate to use one

C Encourage them to get practice in using one

29 You hear a junior doctor asking a consultant about a seriously ill patient who is causing problems. The consultant feels that the patient’s behaviour

A Has some positive aspects

B Is affecting his chances of recovery

C May change if he can discuss his feelings

30 You hear an anaesthetist talking to a colleague about the postponement of a patient’s surgery. The surgery has been postponed because the patient

A Hasn’t been seen by a cardiologist

B Has a suspected chest infection

C Isn’t in a good emotional state

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

You will hear a senior nurse called Belinda Shelton giving a presentation about outreach in an influenza vaccination project in Australia.

31 Patients already receiving care may miss out on flu vaccinations because sub-specialists

A Don’t regard them as a priority

B Lack the resources to provide them

C  Have sufficient facilities for delivering them ABE

32 What lesson was learned about reaching elderly people in residential care facilities?

A The project could have potential drawbacks for this group.

B The existing vaccination service wasn’t benefiting this group.

C Those receiving vaccination must be carefully selected in this group

33 What does Belinda suggest about the data

A It has been taken from patient records

B It may be untypical for the population to general

C It reflects the wide variation between collection sides

34 One of the project’s conclusions is that vulnerable members of the community may.

A Fail to make use of free vaccinations.

B Be unable to afford to access vaccination services.

C Believe that vaccination can be dangerous for them.

35 Belinda says when planning future site visits, the team should take into account.

A The need to follow up the service afterwards.

B Possible ways of liaising with staff on the site.

C The best time for the patient to receive the vaccination.

36 Belinda recommends that a mobile nurse-led service could be used in order to

A Deliver a broader range of vaccines.

B Identify new groups and address their needs.

C Obtain data on a greater variety of medical problems.

Extract 2

You will hear an interview with an ophthalmologist called Dr Marcus Kane, who is talking about age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

37 Dr Kane thinks the worst thing about AMD for older people is

A How isolated it makes them feel

B How suddenly it tends to develop

C How it impacts activities they enjoy

38 The case of Dr Kane’s patient called Laura highlights the fact that.

A AMD is generally passed down through a family

B Patients with AMD are often unaware of having the condition.

C Medical professionals can be slow to respond to evidence of AMD

39 What concerns Dr Kane about the use of hand-held OCT scanners in the diagnosis of AMD?

A Unwanted side effects can come from using them.

B They are too expensive to be used on a very wide scale.

C People will assume they can be used without specialist knowledge.

40 What impresses Dr Kane most about the drug treatment for wet AMD?

A The ease with which it can be carried out.

B The extent to which eyesight improves as a result.

C The number of patients whose vision stops getting worse.

41. Dr Kane says that the home monitoring trial which he is involved in

A Has significant implications for the management of resources.

B Appeals to participate because of the technology involved.

C Targets people who have extreme macular degeneration.

42. How does Dr Kane feel about the recent stem-cell study he mentions?

A Unsure about the validity of its findings

B Surprised by the media reaction to it.

C Doubtful how soon the procedure will be generally available.