6 Ways To Improve Score in OET Reading Test!!

The OET or the Occupational English Test is a test designed for healthcare professionals who wish to pursue a career in Australia, New Zealand, UK and parts of the US. It consists of

Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The Reading section of the OET is further divided into three parts: Part A- expeditious reading task and Part B and Part C- careful reading task.

Though, seemingly easy, it may be a little tricky to decipher the reading section.

So, Here are 6 ways to improve your score in OET Reading:

• Read your books: Since the OET is a very distinctively structured test, most of its questions are based around healthcare scenarios. So, reading medical journals, textbooks and other reference materials on a daily basis can prove to be very helpful. These materials contain words. And phrases that are specific to the healthcare industry. For example, the term ‘subcutaneous Injection’ means the injection that needs to be given into the fatty tissue and not the muscle.
• Skim ’n’ Trim: Its always best to skim through the text and trim the overall time to complete the test. One of the most crucial parts of the reading test is not wasting too much time on the extra details and grasping the essence of the inclusive text. So, have a look at the headings and sub headings and try to get an idea of what its about and then you can always come back to the text later for any specifics that may be required.
• Do not lose your calm: If a question perplexes you too much, move on to the next question. Come back to answer this in the end. Try to answer most of the questions in the given time.
• Context Based Scanning: If there is a word that you don’t understand or can only vaguely recall the meaning of, keep the context of the text in mind. More often than not, the meaning you have in mind is most probably the actual meaning of the word. Understanding the gist of the paragraph and correlating it to the sentence should do the trick.
• Review your answers: After reading all the sub sections and completing the entire reading section, you’d have a more refined understanding of the texts. Hence, review the answers in the end to ensure that they are contextual.
• Take a sample test: Practicing sample tests is excellent for familiarizing yourself with the pattern of the test format.