Mastering OET Listening Part C: Strategies for Success
OET Listening Part C assesses your ability to understand opinions, attitudes, and detailed meaning in longer healthcare-related talks. It is one of the hardest parts of the exam but with the right preparation and strategies you can get the required scores you need for a B in OET Listening.
OET Listening Part C Format
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Number of extracts: 2 longer recordings (about 4–5 minutes each).
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Question type: 6 multiple-choice questions per recording (12 in total).
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Task: Choose the best answer (A, B, or C) based on understanding of the talk or interview.
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Skills assessed: Identifying opinions, following arguments, interpreting tone, and making inferences.
Strategies for OET Listening Part C
Use these techniques to succeed:
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Read the questions first: Anticipate what the recording will cover and what information you’ll need.
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Focus on meaning, not memorising: Understand the main ideas and how they connect, rather than every detail.
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Pay attention to attitude and tone: Some questions test whether the speaker is supportive, critical, or neutral. Be ready for these more indirect and inferential questions.
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Look for key language: Phrases like however, in contrast, as a result can sometimes highlight important shifts in meaning.
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Practise stamina listening: Part C recordings are longer, so train your focus on extended talks and lectures.
Improving Your Listening for Part C
Strengthen your overall skills with these methods:
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Listen to healthcare lectures, podcasts, and interviews: Exposes you to the length and style of Part C texts. One great resource is Ted Talk for Medicine. You can access many similar audio clips to the exam here: TED Medicine
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Expand formal and academic vocabulary: Helps you recognise paraphrasing and subtle meaning.
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Practise inference: Learn to recognise what is implied rather than directly stated. SET offer free Zoom demonstration classes: OET Zoom classes - reserve a space to ask us about inference in OET Listening.
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Summarise after listening: Restating the main point in your own words builds comprehension.
With regular practice, you’ll develop the focus and accuracy needed to perform well in Part C.
✅ Join Our Free OET Course
Want to master the OET exam? Our free OET Course includes:
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Live demonstration classes on Zoom
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Video lessons explaining strategies step by step
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Advice and tips on key parts of the OET Exam