7 Key OET Listening Part B and C Question Types

Here are the seven common question types you might encounter in Part B and Part C of the OET Listening test:

Gist: What is the main idea of the listening passage?

These questions test your ability to grasp the overall meaning of the listening passage. You will need to identify the main topic, purpose, or key idea of the conversation.

Here are some tips on how to tackle Gist questions in the OET Listening test:

Before Listening:

Read the question carefully: Make sure you understand what the question is asking for. In Gist questions, you’re looking for the overall main idea, purpose, or key point of the conversation.
Predict the topic: Based on the context (e.g., healthcare setting in OET), try to anticipate the general topic of the conversation. This can help you focus your listening.

While Listening:

Don’t get bogged down in details: Don’t try to capture every single word. Focus on understanding the main points and the overall flow of the conversation.
Listen for keywords and phrases: Pay attention to words and phrases that indicate the main idea, such as “the main reason,” “the most important thing,” or “in conclusion.”
Identify the speaker’s role and the context: Understanding who the speaker is and the situation they’re in can help you grasp the purpose of the conversation.

After Listening:

Don’t rely on specific details: The answer to a Gist question shouldn’t hinge on catching one or two specific details. It should be based on the overall message.
Eliminate distractors: Look at the answer choices and eliminate any options that focus on minor details or go against the overall flow of the conversation.
Choose the answer that best captures the essence of the passage: The best answer choice will be the one that accurately reflects the main point or purpose of the conversation.

Additional Tips:

Practice makes perfect: Do plenty of practice tests that include Gist questions. This will help you develop your listening skills and get comfortable with this type of question.
Actively listen: Don’t just passively listen to the recording. Engage with the material and try to anticipate what the speaker might say next.

By following these tips, you can improve your ability to tackle Gist questions in the OET Listening test and ensure you grasp the main ideas presented in the audio recordings.

Detail: What specific information is mentioned in the listening passage?

Detail questions require you to pinpoint specific pieces of information mentioned in the recording. This could involve things like dates, times, names, locations, or quantities.

Detail-type OET Listening questions test your ability to pick out specific pieces of information from the recording. Here are some tips to tackle them effectively:

Before Listening:

Read the Question Carefully: Underline keywords in the question that indicate what kind of detail they’re looking for. Is it a symptom, a medication, a date, a duration? This helps you focus your listening.
Scan the Answer Options (Skim, not memorize): Look at the answer choices (A, B, C) to get an idea of the kind of detail they might mention in the recording. This doesn’t mean memorizing them, but rather getting a sense of the format (e.g., dates, numbers, medical terms).

While Listening:

Don’t Get Stuck: If you miss a detail, don’t dwell on it. The recording won’t rewind! Focus on catching the next piece of information.
Active Listening: Pay close attention to numbers, dates, specific medical terms, and phrases that indicate details (e.g., “has a history of”, “needs to take”, “will be referred for”).
Match Keywords: Try to match the keywords you underlined in the question with what you hear in the recording.

Additional Tips:

Focus, Not Perfection: You don’t need to understand every single word. Focus on catching the details relevant to the question.
Eliminate Distractors: If you’re unsure between two options, try to eliminate the answer choices that you know are definitely wrong based on what you heard.

By following these strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle detail-type OET Listening questions and improve your score.

Agreement: Does the speaker agree or disagree with a particular statement?

Here, you will be asked to determine whether the speaker agrees or disagrees with a particular statement.

Here are some tips for tackling Agreement type OET Listening Questions:

Before Listening:

Identify the statement: Pay close attention to the prompt before listening. It will likely ask something like “Does the speaker agree or disagree with the statement that…?” Make sure you understand the statement you’ll be referencing while listening.

While Listening:

Active listening: Don’t just passively listen for the answer. Focus on understanding the overall topic and the speaker’s general opinion.
Keywords: Listen for keywords or phrases that relate to agreement or disagreement. These might include:
- Agreement: “Yes,” “Of course,” “I agree,” “Absolutely,” “That’s right”
- Disagreement: “No,” “Not really,” “I don’t think so,” “I disagree,” “There are some problems with that idea”
Supporting arguments: The speaker might not directly say “agree” or “disagree,” but may instead provide arguments that support or contradict the statement. Pay attention to the speaker’s reasoning.
Don’t be fooled by rephrasing: Sometimes the speaker might rephrase the statement but still hold the same opinion. Listen for the underlying meaning rather than getting caught up on exact wording.

After Listening:

Review your notes (if allowed): If you’re allowed to take notes during the listening section, quickly review them to see if you jotted down any keywords related to agreement or disagreement.
Make a choice: Choose the answer that best reflects the speaker’s overall opinion of the statement.

Additional Tips:

Don’t overthink: Trust your first instinct after listening. You’ll likely have the answer based on the key points you captured while listening.

By following these tips, you can improve your chances of successfully tackling Agreement-type OET Listening Questions.

Future Action: What will happen next according to the listening passage?

These questions focus on what will happen next or what the speaker plans to do in the future.

Here are some tips for tackling Future Action OET Listening Question types, where you need to identify what will happen next according to the passage:

Pay attention to keywords and phrases that indicate future actions. These can include words like “will,” “going to,” “might,” “could,” “should,” “needs to,” or phrases like “is planning to,” “has arranged to,” or “is scheduled to.”
Identify the speaker’s goals or intentions. What is the speaker trying to achieve? Often, the future action will be something related to the speaker’s goals.
Consider the context of the conversation. What has been happening so far? What is the situation? This will help you to predict what is likely to happen next.
Don’t be fooled by red herrings. The passage may mention some things that are not going to happen. Try to identify the most logical and relevant course of action based on the information provided.
Pay attention to timelines. The passage may give you clues about when the future action will take place.

Here are some additional tips that may be helpful specifically for the OET:

The passages are often short and to the point. So, you don’t need to worry about a lot of extraneous information. Just focus on the key details.
There may be multiple speakers. Make sure you are clear about who is speaking and what their role is in the conversation.

By following these tips, you can improve your ability to tackle Future Action OET Listening Question types.

Purpose: What is the speaker’s purpose for speaking?

The purpose question type asks you to identify the speaker’s reason for speaking or the main goal of the conversation.

Here are some tips on how to tackle Purpose OET Listening Question Type:

Before Listening:

Scan the question: Briefly read the question about the speaker’s purpose. This will give you an idea of what to focus on while listening.
Identify keywords: Look for keywords in the question that might indicate the speaker’s purpose. These could be words like “advice,” “information,” “complaint,” “confirmation,” etc.

While Listening:

Pay attention to opening: The opening of the conversation often reveals the speaker’s main reason for speaking. Listen for phrases like “I’m calling to…” or “The reason I’m here is…”
Catch verbal cues: Listen for specific words and phrases that indicate the speaker’s purpose. These could be:
- Requesting information: “Can you tell me…?” , “I’d like to know…”
- Giving information: “I’m calling to inform you…” , “The purpose of my visit is…”
- Offering advice: “I would suggest…”, “In my opinion…”
- Making a complaint: “I’m calling to complain about…”, “I’m not happy with…”
- Seeking confirmation: “So, just to confirm…”, “Could you just clarify…”
Follow the conversation flow: Pay attention to how the conversation progresses. The speaker might start by introducing themselves and then move on to their main reason for speaking.

After Listening:

Eliminate options: If there are multiple answer choices, eliminate options that don’t match the conversation content or the keywords in the question.
Choose the best answer: Select the answer that best reflects the speaker’s primary reason for speaking. Don’t get hung up on minor details.

Don’t panic if you miss something: The speaker might not explicitly state their purpose at the beginning. Focus on piecing together clues throughout the conversation.

By following these tips, you can improve your ability to identify the speaker’s purpose in OET Listening questions.

Function: What is the function of a particular product or procedure mentioned in the listening passage?

Here are some tips for tackling Function OET Listening Question Type: What is the function of a particular product or procedure mentioned in the listening passage?

Before you listen:

Scan the questions: Quickly look at the questions for Part B of the listening test. This will help you become familiar with the type of information you need to listen for.
Identify keywords: Pay attention to keywords in the questions that relate to function, such as “used for,” “designed to,” “aims to,” “helps to,” or “in order to.”

While you listen:

Focus on relevant information: Don’t try to listen to everything. Pay close attention to parts of the conversation where products or procedures are mentioned.
Listen for details: When you hear a product or procedure mentioned, focus on understanding what it is used for or what it is designed to do.

After you listen:

Match the function: Reread the question options and see if any of them match the function you heard described in the listening passage.
Eliminate distractors: If you’re unsure between two options, try to eliminate answer choices that you know are wrong based on the passage.

Additional tips:

Don’t get hung up on one question: If you can’t find the answer to a question quickly, move on and come back to it later if you have time.
Be mindful of synonyms: The speaker might not use the exact words used in the question. They might use synonyms or paraphrase the function of the product or procedure.

By following these tips, you can improve your chances of successfully answering Function OET Listening questions about the function of products and procedures.

Opinion: What is the speaker’s opinion on a particular topic

Here, you will need to identify the speaker’s opinion or attitude toward a particular topic or issue.

Here’s how to tackle Opinion OET Listening questions focusing on the speaker’s viewpoint:

Identifying the Clues:

Question-wording: Look for phrases like “What is the speaker’s opinion on…?” or “The speaker believes that…”.
Speaker’s name: The question might mention the speaker’s name, but the answer might not directly follow it.
Context: Pay attention to the overall flow of the conversation. Is the speaker presenting information, offering suggestions, or expressing personal views?

Understanding Opinions:

Listen for opinion indicators: Words and phrases like “I think,” “In my opinion,” “I would argue that,” or “The problem is” often signal an opinion.
Consider emotional language: Words that convey feelings like “frustrating,” “ideal,” “disappointing,” or “essential” can reveal the speaker’s stance.
Look for comparisons and contrasts: If the speaker compares or contrasts different options, their preference for one over the other suggests their opinion.

Tips for Success:

Don’t be fooled by facts: Opinions can be based on facts, but not all factual statements are opinions. Focus on the speaker’s judgment or evaluation.
Beware of paraphrasing: The answer might not use the exact words as the speaker, but it should convey the same sentiment.
Eliminate answer choices: If an answer contradicts what the speaker said, eliminate it.
Practice with OET materials: Utilize official OET practice tests or resources designed for OET Listening Part C, which often focuses on opinions.

By following these steps and practicing actively, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle Opinion OET Listening questions and identify the speaker’s stance on various topics.