The Occupational English Test (OET) is crucial for healthcare professionals aiming to work in English-speaking environments. Yet, how many of us have struggled to find sufficient study materials? This is a common dilemma. How can we ensure we’re adequately prepared with limited resources? In this blog post, I will outline a strategic approach to studying for the OET, leveraging available resources effectively and highlighting key techniques.
Avoiding the Pitfall of Premature Practice Tests
How often do students burn through all their mock tests too early? It's a frequent mistake. Official mock test materials are listed in the next section but here it is the right time to talk about the somewhat underground collection known as the 'Jashan collection', a large set of practice tests, should be saved (if you are going to use it at all) for the later stages of your preparation. Mock tests are most beneficial when used to simulate exam conditions and assess your readiness closer to the exam date as well. Overusing mock test materials too soon can lead to a lack of practice resources in the final stages of preparation. Also, many of the materials in this collection can give a false sense of security about your proficiency as they are not all the same level of difficulty as the real OET.
Essential Resources
Essential OET resources that you need to make us of are:
1. Official free OET Preparation Materials from their website:
2. Official practice books:
- Books from OET.com Store: Practice Tests
- OET Trainer: Nurse / Doctor
- Official OET Practice Book 1: Nurse / Doctor
3. Other Practice Materials :
LISTENING:
- GPs Behind Closed Doors: Click Here
- 24 Hours in A&E: Click Here
- Surgeons at the Edge: Click Here
- Ted Talks: Click Here
- ABC Radio: Click Here
READING:
- A to Z NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/
- MedScape: https://www.medscape.org/
- Breaking News English: https://breakingnewsenglish.com/
- Nursing Times: https://www.nursingtimes.net/
- The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/
Note: Reading medical journals can be useful but their style is not quite like the exam. Better to seek out medical magazines - the style needs to be slightly more fluent and and journalistic than more scientific papers often are.
4. Useful Coursebooks:
*Please note the Kaplan 1st Edition has mixed reviews from students.
Don't Study Alone...
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Join a school: There are many great OET providers out there and the key is to choose a 'Premium Provider'. That means a school that has received training from OET on how to teach the exam. You can see schools that are listed here: OET Premium Providers
- The most well known Online OET Providers are:
- E2
- Swoosh
- SET English
- OET Online
- IRS
Of course there are many schools out there and the key is to shop around and find what is right for you. If its lots of live classes and mock tests you want, then SET is probably offering more than other schools with over 4-hours of live interactive classes every day.
- Get a Study Partner :
OET Reading Part A requires quick and efficient information retrieval from multiple texts. How can you become proficient at this? Scanning is the answer. This technique involves searching the text for specific information without reading everything in detail.
The Scanning Game
Want a fun way to enhance your scanning skills? Try this interactive game with a study partner:
1. Preparation:
- Gather several OET Reading Part A texts.
- Get a friend or partner to help you.
2. Gameplay:
- Your friend/partner says a keyword from the list.
- You scan the text to find the keyword.
- When you locate the keyword, you must say the word immediately preceding it in the text.
Example:
- If the keyword is "diabetes" and the text reads, "patients with diabetes should monitor their blood sugar levels," you would say "with"
This game trains you to quickly identify and process information, a skill that will serve you well in the exam.
Conclusion
Given the scarcity of OET study materials, a strategic approach is essential. By managing your resources wisely and focusing on skill development, you can significantly enhance your chances of success. Remember, use mock tests judiciously and practice scanning techniques to build proficiency. Stay disciplined, practice regularly, and leverage the resources mentioned for a comprehensive preparation.
Good luck with your OET preparation!
You can watch some more thoughts on this topic in my liveclass: How to Study OET