How many parts is OET Listening and how long?

Three parts with around 42 questions in about 40 minutes.

What format are Parts B and C?

Multiple choice — Part B uses short workplace extracts and Part C a longer presentation or interview.

What should you listen for in Parts B and C?

Gist, detail, opinion and the speaker's purpose — the meaning, not just matching words.

What two things most help on OET Listening?

Active note-taking and strong healthcare vocabulary so you recognise clinical terms instantly.

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Smart Note6 min

OET Listening: Three Parts, Healthcare Audio

OET Listening's three parts — consultations, short extracts and a presentation — and the note-completion skill that carries it.

The big picture

OET Listening (~40 min, 42 items)
- Part A — Consultation extracts · note completion
- Part B — Short workplace extracts · multiple choice
- Part C — Presentation/interview · multiple choice
- Generic healthcare — Accessible to all professions

Three parts, about 40 minutes

OET Listening has three parts and around 42 questions in ~40 minutes, using generic healthcare audio all professions can follow. You listen and answer as you go — Part A is note completion, while Parts B and C are multiple choice.

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Real example: Part A plays a health professional–patient consultation and you fill in missing words on a set of notes; Parts B and C give short workplace extracts and a longer talk with multiple-choice questions.

🧠 Memory hook: 3 parts, ~40 min. Part A = fill the notes; Parts B & C = multiple choice.

Part A — note completion, exact words

In Part A you complete notes as you listen to a consultation, writing the exact words or a close form you hear. Spelling of common medical terms matters, and you must keep pace because the audio moves on.

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Real example: If the doctor says the patient has 'shortness of breath on exertion', the note blank wants those words — write concisely and spell clinical terms correctly.

🧠 Memory hook: Write the exact words on the notes, spelled right. Keep up — the audio won't wait.

Parts B & C — listen for the point

Part B has short extracts (e.g. team briefings) with a question each; Part C has longer presentations or interviews. For both, listen for gist, detail, opinion and the speaker's purpose — the answer is what the speaker means, not just words that appear.

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Real example: A Part C question on the speaker's attitude needs you to catch tone and emphasis, not a single keyword — the right option paraphrases the speaker's actual point.

🧠 Memory hook: B & C: catch gist, detail, opinion and purpose — the meaning, not just the words.

Note-taking and healthcare vocabulary win

Success comes from active listening plus strong healthcare vocabulary. Build familiarity with clinical terms, symptoms and procedures so you recognise them instantly, and jot key facts as you listen since audio plays through.

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Real example: Knowing terms like 'hypertension', 'referral' and 'dosage' by ear means you spend your attention on meaning, not decoding — practise with real healthcare audio.

🧠 Memory hook: Active listening + healthcare vocabulary. Know the clinical terms by ear.

Frequently asked questions

How many parts is OET Listening and how long?: Three parts with around 42 questions in about 40 minutes.
What do you do in Part A?: Complete notes as you listen to a consultation, writing the exact words (or a close form) you hear.
What format are Parts B and C?: Multiple choice — Part B uses short workplace extracts and Part C a longer presentation or interview.
What should you listen for in Parts B and C?: Gist, detail, opinion and the speaker's purpose — the meaning, not just matching words.
What two things most help on OET Listening?: Active note-taking and strong healthcare vocabulary so you recognise clinical terms instantly.

Keep going — free practice

🎯 Free OET mock test 📚 More OET Smart Notes 📚 All Smart Notes