In this blog, I will outline some of the general questions that students have asked me regarding the OET as it’s very likely that you will have the same questions.

How should I practice speaking at home?

Practice is key to improving and preparing yourself for the OET. For all the components, I strongly encourage you to practice within the time limits. For speaking in particular, you should be practicing with another person and, if possible, record the conversation so you can listen back to it.

What if I don’t know anything about the topic in the test?

This may happen and it’s important that you do not freak out! Remember the OET is designed as a English test and not a medical knowledge test – this means that, if the you don’t know the topic, just analyse and comprehend the information given to you and you should still be able to complete the task.

Should I use pen or pencil in the exam?

For MOST of the components, it actually doesn’t matter if you use pen or pencil! My best advice is to use whichever writing utensil you feel most COMFORTABLE writing in because you will be using it a LOT on the exam day. However, for reading part B, you will need a pencil to fill in the multiple choice answer sheet.

These are all very common concerns for the OET student – you’re not alone!