Dos and Don’ts When Taking the OET Listening Sub-test
Want to get a grade B and above in the OET listening sub-test? Enroll in an excellent OET preparation course and learn about what you should and shouldn’t do when you take the exam.
OET Preparation Course Tips: Dos and Don’ts in the Listening Test Did you know that the listening sub-test’s Parts A and B have the same weight regardless of the number of items each section has? Even if there were more items in one part compared with the other, it would still only count for exactly half of your overall score.
Test takers who are not aware of this often focus more on the part that has more items, unknowingly hurting their chances of getting their grade goals. Don’t commit the same mistake. Here are other things that you should and shouldn’t do to ace the listening sub-test.
DO
Be concise
This is one of the first things that OET preparation course instructors will teach you. There’s no need to structure your answers in the listening sub-test so it has an intro, body, and conclusion. You just need to accomplish the given task. Go straight to the point when you write down your answers.
Use bullet points
As long as the instruction didn’t say that you need to use a particular format (e.g., flow-chart, graph, etc.), you can use bullet points to present your notes. Using bullets is a great way to keep your answers clear and organized.
Make sure that you write your answers under the correct heading
It doesn’t matter what order you write your answers in as long as you place them under the correct heading. So, don’t worry about the flow or transitioning of your answers. OET checkers are trained to score notes that are written in an order different from how they were mentioned in the recording.
DON’T
Focus too much on making everything perfect
As long as your answers are accurate and coherent, you won’t be penalized for misspelling words or having incorrect grammar. So, don’t waste your time on refining your notes. Concentrate on accomplishing the note-taking tasks instead.
Shy away from using general abbreviations
Yes! You can write down “BP” instead of spelling out “blood pressure” in your answers. It’s okay to use abbreviations as long as they are widely accepted across healthcare professions. OET checkers are well-versed in general medical abbreviations.
Disregard the instructions
In Part A, you have to write your answers in the test booklet under the appropriate heading. In Part B, you have to write your answers in the space specified in the instructions. The OET evaluator will
disregard answers that don’t follow these directives, so pay attention. Make sure wrote your notes in the right places before moving on to the next question.
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