OET Listening Part A

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

DOs

1. Read the notes before audio starts
Use the 30 seconds to scan:

• Structure (history, symptoms, meds, social factors)
• Expected word types (number, symptom, drug name, frequency)

2. Predict answers linguistically
Anticipate:

• Grammar: singular/plural, noun vs adjective
• Collocations: “complains of ___”, “history of ___”

3. Follow the conversation flow, not just keywords
The audio is chronological. Track:

• Opening → complaint → history → management

4. Write EXACTLY what you hear
Spelling matters, but:

• Minor spelling errors are sometimes tolerated if meaning is clear
• Avoid paraphrasing unless necessary

5. Use abbreviations safely (during listening)
E.g., “BP”, “hrs”, “↑”, “↓” — but convert to full form if unsure

6. Focus on function words around the gap
Prepositions/articles help:

• “pain in the ___”
• “allergic to ___”

7. Be alert to corrections
Speakers often self-correct:

• “It started on Monday—sorry, Tuesday.”

8. Handle numbers carefully
Listen for:

• Dates (15 vs 50)
• Frequencies (twice daily vs two days)

9. Keep writing—don’t freeze
If you miss one answer:

• Move on immediately
• Guess later during checking time

10. Use the 30-second check time strategically

• Fix spelling
• Ensure answers fit grammatically
• Check word limits (usually 1–3 words)

DON’Ts

1. Don’t write more than the word limit

• “severe chest pain” when only 2 words allowed → incorrect

2. Don’t paraphrase unnecessarily

• Audio: “hypertension” → write hypertension, not “high blood pressure” unless clearly acceptable

3. Don’t rely only on hearing keywords

• Distractors are common
• Meaning > isolated words

4. Don’t panic if accent is unfamiliar

• Focus on content words (symptoms, drugs, times)

5. Don’t leave blanks

• Always attempt; partial knowledge can still be correct

6. Don’t ignore spelling completely

• “diabetes” vs “diabtes” may lose marks

7. Don’t get stuck on one difficult question

• You’ll miss the next 2–3 answers

8. Don’t assume first answer is correct

• Wait for confirmation; speakers may revise

9. Don’t write symbols unless clearly acceptable

• “>” or “↑” may not be accepted in final answer

10. Don’t forget context (patient vs relative)

• Make sure you attribute correctly (e.g., family history vs patient symptom)