Mastering OET Listening Part B: Strategies for Success
OET Listening Part B tests your ability to understand the main idea, purpose, and detail in short workplace-related recordings. Using the right strategies and with some practice, you can answer confidently and improve your score.
OET Listening Part B Format
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Number of extracts: 6 short recordings (about 1 minute each).
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Question type: One multiple-choice question per recording (6 in total).
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Task: Choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) based on the recording.
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Skills assessed: Understanding gist, recognising tone and attitude, and identifying the purpose of short professional interactions.
Strategies for OET Listening Part B
Boost your performance with these techniques:
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Read the question before listening: Know what you’re listening for — main idea, attitude, or detail.
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Focus on gist, not every word: Don’t panic if you miss one phrase; concentrate on overall meaning.
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Eliminate distractors: Wrong options can contain words lifted from the recording but don’t reflect the true meaning.
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Practise under exam conditions: Train yourself to answer quickly with only one play of the audio.
Improving Your Listening for Part B
To develop long-term skills:
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Expose yourself to healthcare workplace audio: Meetings, handovers, training sessions, announcements.
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Expand your workplace vocabulary: Helps you catch meaning even when the wording is paraphrased.
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Practise listening for gist: Focus on what the speaker says overall and how this connects to the question, not just the individual points.
Consistent practice with authentic materials builds confidence and accuracy.
✅ Join Our Free OET Listening Course
Want to master Part B? Our free OET Listening course gives you:
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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