Dos and Donts in OET Reading 2021?

If you are a medical professional looking to work overseas, then you are required to give the OET. The Occupational English language Test is an English language assessment that is designed specifically for healthcare professionals. The OET is used to assess professionals from 12 professionals of the field of healthcare.    

Just like the other English language assessments IELTS and TOEFL, the OET is divided into four sections – reading, writing, listening and speaking.

The reading section may seem difficult for some of the candidates as it consists of 3 essays and their related questions which you need to answer in 60 minutes.

So, we bring you a list of dos and don’ts that you should remember when you give the test:

Do’s:

  1. Read the questions first: Before you start reading the texts, it is important that you read the questions. Since you have three texts to read, reading the questions beforehand will guide your reading of the texts. 
  2. Skim the text: You need to keep in mind that you have very limited time, and you should skim through the text. Read the headings, read the first lines of each paragraph quickly. This is because you just want to get a general idea of what each text is about as the first 7 questions of OET’s first reading part will always ask you general information.
  3. Underline keywords: As you are skimming through the test make sure that you underline any key words or key phrases that you come across. You would have read the questions before starting your reading so you will know where to look to for the answers. This will help you especially in answering the MCQ’s.
  4. Manage your time: You will have 60 minutes to read the texts and answer the questions. This will include writing a summary, answering MCQ’s and completing sentences. Needless to say, time will be of the essence so make sure that you check your watch and keep a track of the time.     

Don’ts:

  1. Paraphrase: Unlike the writing section, you cannot paraphrase words and sentences in the reading section. As you are supposed to write exactly what you have read. As you are expected to produce the exact spelling do not paraphrase.
  2. Go through the OET texts word for word: You will not have time to read the texts in depth so reading each text word for word is not the wisest strategy. It will increase the chances of you not finishing the exam on time. Avoid this problem by developing your ability to speed read efficiently during your OET preparation period. 
  3. Skip rechecking your answers: You should proofread your answers and check for spelling and grammatical mistakes.  Don’t forget to recheck your work before moving on to the next part. Assess your summary to see if you have covered all the relevant information and if its organized.
  4. Read without purpose: When you read health care related articles or magazine, do so with context. Try to figure out the message of the author and also pick up on the vocabulary being used. This will help you prepare for the reading text and answer the questions which use synonyms.

Do you want to get a good score in OET? If YES is your answer then it is time that you enroll for the training online. Do not wait. Enroll for the OET course online at OETPractice.net