OET Reading Strategy: How to Tackle Parts A, B and C

OET Reading lasts 60 minutes and has 42 questions in three parts. Success depends as much on using time well as on English ability. Here is how to approach each part.

Part A: skim and scan (20 questions, 15 minutes)

Part A has four short texts on one healthcare topic, such as a guideline, a research summary and a patient leaflet. The questions are of three types: matching ("which text mentions..."), short answers, and sentence completion. Your question paper is collected after 15 minutes, and you cannot come back to this part, so time is tight.

• Skim each text first. Spend about a minute on each, noting what each one is about and where its main points are.
• Scan for the answer. For each question, find the key words and scan the texts. You are looking for the same idea, often in different words.
• Answers come from the texts. Short answers and completions use words found in the texts. Copy them accurately, and watch your spelling.
• Do not get stuck. If a question takes too long, leave it and return if you have time.

Part B: short workplace texts (6 questions)

Part B has six short texts, such as an email, a notice or a policy extract. Each has one question with three options.

• Read the question first, then the text, then check each option against the text.
• Decide whether the question is about the main purpose, a detail, or the writer's attitude.
• Cross out options that are not supported by the text. The remaining option is usually the answer.

Part C: longer texts (16 questions)

Part C has two texts of around 700 to 800 words, each with eight multiple-choice questions with four options. Parts B and C share the remaining 45 minutes, so aim to spend roughly 7 minutes on Part B and about 19 minutes on each Part C text.

• Skim the whole text first to understand the structure. Most paragraphs have one main idea.
• Questions follow the text order, so you can work through the text paragraph by paragraph.
• Look for the writer's view. Questions often ask about attitude or opinion. Words such as "arguably" and "unfortunately" signal opinion.
• Beware of extreme options. Options that use words like "always", "never" or "only" are rarely correct unless the text says so.
• Check reference questions. If a question asks what "it" or "this" refers to, read the sentences before it.

Build your reading speed

Read English articles on healthcare topics every day, such as medical journal commentaries and health policy articles. Practise reading the first and last sentence of each paragraph, and notice how often they carry the main idea. Review each practice test by checking the evidence for every answer, including those you got right.

Ready to practise? OET Practice for Doctors has full listening and reading tests in the real format, writing letters with model answers and speaking role-plays. Try the free listening test to see how it works.

Practise for the OET on HighYield

Put this into practice with HighYield OET Practice for doctors, a full practice area built around the real exam. Start with the free listening test, then work through every sub-test:

• OET Listening practice tests: Parts A, B and C with audio
• OET Reading practice tests: Parts A, B and C with answers and evidence
• OET Writing tasks: referral letters with model answers and scoring
• OET Speaking role-plays: doctor role-plays to rehearse out loud