10 Tips To Pass OET

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Sitting the OET shouldn’t be a daunting experience. With adequate preparation, the OET is an easy box to tick on your journey to becoming a registered UK healthcare professional. Here are our 10 top tips to pass the OET Reading sub-section first time.

 

How to pass your OET READING quickly

1. Don’t read, skim!

Part A of the OET Reading Test consists of 20 questions that you must complete in 15 minutes, that is about 45 seconds per question. You will not have enough time to read each text top to bottom. You only need to grasp the general message and structure of the text which you can do by quickly skimming the text and only focusing on content words (nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives) rather than function words (for, the, a, but…).

2. Copy exactly

For short answer and completion questions, you must copy the text exactly as it is written in the text provided into your answer spaces. Be careful of making spelling mistakes and do not rephrase the text or add any words as your answer will not count and it will be marked as wrong.

3. If you are struggling move on

During the test, don’t spend too much time on one section.

Remember you only have 45 minutes for Parts B and C combined, so you need to work quickly. If you’re struggling, have a guess, move on and come back to it later if you have time.

4. It’s all in the text

No need for prior or own knowledge to answer the questions. The text contains all the solutions.

5. Answer all questions

Always answer all the questions, this goes for the listening sub-test too. You cannot receive a negative mark, so if you don’t know the answer just take a guess, to accumulate as many marks as possible and increase your chances of passing.

6. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Practicing extensively within time constraints and no distraction is beneficial to familiarise yourself with the structure and pace of the test.

7. Be strict with yourself

When practicing, if your answer is similar but not exactly equal to what is writing in the mark scheme do not give yourself the point. In the real test, your answer would be marked down.

8. Ask for Special Exam Arrangements, if you need it

If you have a condition (dyslexia, broken arm, hearing impairment …) that may hinder your performance in the test, you can request for special arrangements up until the day bookings close for your selected OET Test date. Your test centre will be able to accommodate your needs by providing you with extra time, modified test material or enhanced test accessibility.

9. Highlight and annotate

Highlight keywords or numbers that you feel will help you answer the questions. This will help you avoid having to read the text all over again to find a word or sentence that you are looking for, saving you time to move onto other questions.

10. Register with a Training Centre

Healthcare professionals that register on OET courses provided by an approved training centre are more likely to pass first time. If you are searching for a training centre, please visit this page.