OET · Listening · LA
OET Listening Part A: Consultation Note Completion
OET Listening Part A tests how accurately you pick out specific information from a consultation. You hear two recorded consultations between a health professional and a patient, each played once, and complete a set of case notes with 12 gaps per consultation, using the exact words or short phrases the speakers say.
- Questions
- 24 note gaps (12 per consultation)
- Recordings
- 2 consultations, roughly 5 minutes each
- Plays
- Each recording is heard once only
- Response
- A word or short phrase, exactly as heard
- Profession
- Same test for all 12 professions
How it works
- 1You see a set of case notes with headings and numbered gaps, and get a short time to read them before the audio starts.
- 2The consultation plays once. The notes follow the order of the conversation, so you move down the page as the speakers talk.
- 3You type (or write) the missing word or phrase in each gap while listening.
- 4The second consultation follows with its own 12 gaps, then the test moves on to Part B.
Sample task
Original sample · not from an official test
Audio (original): "It started about three weeks ago. I noticed my ankles were swelling by the evening, and now I get out of breath just climbing the stairs to my flat." Notes: Presenting complaint — swelling of ankles, worse in the (1) ______; shortness of breath on (2) ______.
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Outline: (1) evening (2) climbing stairs
Both answers are words the patient actually says. The notes use clinical shorthand, but the gap is filled with what you hear, so there is no need to convert 'climbing stairs' into a term like 'exertion'.
Tips that work
- Use the reading time to predict the type of word each gap needs: a symptom, a time period, a medication name or a number.
- Follow the headings. If the speaker moves to a new topic, check you are on the matching heading rather than stuck on an earlier gap.
- Write the words you hear; the task rewards accurate capture, not paraphrase or clinical interpretation.
- If you miss a gap, leave it and move on immediately; one lost answer is better than losing the next three.
- Check spelling at the end. UK and US spellings are both usually accepted, but a misspelled drug name or body part may not be.
Common mistakes
- Writing a medical synonym instead of the word the patient used.
- Adding extra words that change the meaning or make the answer too long.
- Stopping to think about an earlier gap and losing your place in the notes.
Questions candidates ask
Can I hear the Part A recording twice?
No. Each OET Listening recording is played once, so practise with audio you cannot replay.
Does spelling matter in OET Listening Part A?
Yes. Answers must be recognisable and correctly spelled. Standard UK and US spelling variants are generally accepted; check the OET website for the current marking guidance.
Is Part A different for nurses, doctors and pharmacists?
No. Listening is the same for all 12 professions. Consultations are written so that no specialist knowledge is needed.
Other OET Listening tasks
OET overviewOET Listening: all partsOET full mock testsOET articles on the blog