OET reading sub-test: The OET Reading sub-test gives you 60 minutes, 42 questions and three very different kinds of reading. Part A rewards speed, Part B rewards judgement and Part C rewards depth. Candidates who treat all three parts the same way tend to run out of time in exactly the wrong place, so the smartest preparation starts with understanding the structure before you practise a single question.

This guide explains the OET reading sub-test format part by part: what you read, how many questions each part carries, how the time is split and where candidates most often lose marks. Everything about the timing and question counts below follows the official OET test-day guidance, with preparation detail flagged as such where it comes from preparation providers rather than OET itself.

OET reading sub-test: the 60 minutes at a glance

The Reading sub-test has three parts and 42 question items in total. The 60 minutes are split into 15 minutes for Part A and 45 minutes for Parts B and C together. That split is the single most important fact in this guide, because Part A is timed separately from the rest.

Two consequences follow from that table. First, Part A gives you less than a minute per question, so it tests how fast you can find information, not how deeply you can read. Second, Parts B and C share one 45 minute allowance, so you decide how to divide that time between six short texts and two long ones. Planning that division before test day is part of the test.

Part A: expeditious reading in 15 minutes

Part A presents four short texts, labelled A, B, C and D, all on a single healthcare topic. The topic might be diabetes management, wound care or paediatric vaccination. You answer 20 questions on those texts in 15 minutes. The question types are matching, gap-fill and short answer: you may be asked which text mentions a particular point, or asked to complete a sentence or give a short answer of one to three words.

OET calls this expeditious reading, which is a formal way of saying skimming and scanning under pressure. You are not expected to read all four texts from start to finish. The working method taught by almost every preparation provider is the same: read the questions first, underline the keywords, numbers and names in them, then scan the texts for those exact points and move on. Reading the texts first is the classic Part A mistake, because the clock does not allow it.

Two details matter more than candidates expect. Short answers must match the wording and spelling of the text, so copying exactly what you found beats paraphrasing it. And Part A is timed on its own: when the 15 minutes end, you move on to Parts B and C and do not return to Part A. If you leave a Part A question blank, it stays blank, which is why experienced candidates answer every question, even with a guess, rather than leaving gaps.

Part B: six short workplace texts

Part B changes gear completely. You read six short workplace extracts, one multiple-choice question per extract, with three options for each question. The extracts look like the documents of a working day: a policy document, a hospital guideline, a manual extract, an internal email or a memo. Preparation guides typically put each extract at around 100 to 150 words, so none of them is long.

What Part B tests is different from Part A. Here you are reading for gist, purpose and main point rather than hunting for a specific fact. The question might ask what the main purpose of the document is, what the writer is recommending, or which statement best summarises the extract. The wrong options are usually plausible: they may repeat words from the text while changing its meaning, or state something true but beside the point. The skill is to identify the central idea of a short text quickly and to reject options that are true but irrelevant.

Because each extract carries only one question, Part B rewards a steady rhythm. Read the question and the three options first, then read the extract with a clear idea of what you are looking for. Spending five minutes on one short extract is almost always a worse trade than moving on and protecting your time for Part C.

Part C: two longer texts, deeper reading

Part C presents two longer articles on general healthcare topics, each followed by eight multiple-choice questions with four options, making 16 questions in total. These are the longest reads in the sub-test and the ones that most resemble ordinary careful reading, but they still test specific skills: understanding detailed meaning, following an argument, recognising the writer’s opinion or attitude, and distinguishing what is stated from what is merely implied.

The trap in Part C is treating it like Part A. Candidates who skim for keywords tend to pick options that quote the text while missing the writer’s stance, and Part C questions are designed to catch exactly that. A question may ask whether the writer is in favour of, against or neutral about a proposal, or what can be inferred from a paragraph rather than what it says outright. That kind of question can only be answered by reading the relevant section properly, including its qualifying words: however, although, despite, on the other hand.

Part C is also where vocabulary pays off most. The texts use the language of healthcare debate, and the questions often paraphrase rather than repeat the text, so recognising synonyms and reworded ideas matters more here than anywhere else in the sub-test.

How the timing really works

The headline split is 15 minutes for Part A and 45 minutes for Parts B and C. Inside that second block, OET does not tell you how long to spend on each part, so a sensible division is part of your preparation. A widely used plan is to allow roughly 12 to 15 minutes for Part B, which leaves about 30 minutes for the two Part C texts, around 15 minutes each. That is a preparation guideline, not an official rule, and you should adjust it after timed practice shows where your own time goes.

One more timing detail is worth knowing. On OET@Home, after Part A there is an optional 10-minute break before Parts B and C begin. It is a chance to step away from the screen, but it is optional and supervised, so you notify the proctor and wait for acknowledgement before leaving camera view. Paper-based test days follow their own venue timetable, so check the instructions in your venue email rather than assuming the break applies.

The other timing fact candidates forget is that the Reading texts cover general healthcare topics. The same Reading sub-test is taken by all twelve OET professions, so the texts are deliberately accessible across professions rather than pitched at one specialism. You are being tested on reading, not on medical knowledge, and no question requires knowledge from outside the text.

Where candidates lose time

Most lost time in the Reading sub-test comes from a small set of habits, and all of them are fixable in practice.

First, reading Part A texts before the questions. With 20 questions in 15 minutes, every minute spent reading a text you may not need is a minute taken from questions you could have answered. Questions first, texts second, always.

Second, re-reading whole extracts in Part B. If you cannot see the answer after one careful read of a short extract, the answer is probably in the option you dismissed, not in a second full read. Re-read the question instead, then check the options against the extract’s main point.

Third, getting stuck on one Part C question. Eight questions follow each text, and they are not in order of difficulty. A question that resists you for three minutes is worth less than the next three questions combined, so mark it, move on and return to it only if time remains at the end of the shared 45 minutes.

Fourth, changing answers without evidence. In multiple-choice parts, a changed answer should come from re-reading the relevant lines, not from a feeling that the first choice looked too obvious. First instincts in reading tests are wrong less often than candidates assume.

A simple 60-minute game plan

Put the structure to work with a plan you can rehearse until it feels automatic. In Part A, spend the first minute reading all 20 questions and marking their keywords, then work through them in order, scanning for one answer at a time and guessing rather than leaving blanks. In Part B, read each question and its three options before the extract, answer from the main point, and keep each extract to about two minutes. In Part C, read the first text properly, answer its eight questions, then do the same for the second text, keeping roughly 15 minutes per text. Check the clock only at the boundaries between parts, not after every question, because clock-watching itself costs time.

Practise this plan under timed conditions, not just question by question. Untimed practice builds accuracy, but only timed practice teaches you what 15 minutes actually feels like, and it is the feeling of the clock, more than the difficulty of the questions, that surprises candidates on test day.

How the Reading sub-test is scored

OET reports each sub-test on a scale from 0 to 500, mapped to letter grades from A to E. Most regulators that accept OET ask for grade B, which is the level most candidates are aiming at. Preparation providers commonly describe around 30 out of 42 as the rough ballpark for a B grade in Reading, but that is a preparation rule of thumb, not an official OET cut score, so treat it as a practice target rather than a promise. What matters for preparation is the shape of the target: every question carries the same weight, so a question saved in Part A counts exactly as much as a question saved in Part C, and the cheapest marks are usually the ones you currently lose to the clock rather than to comprehension.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in the OET Reading sub-test?

There are 42 questions in total: 20 in Part A, 6 in Part B and 16 in Part C.

How long is the OET Reading sub-test?

The OET reading sub-test lasts 60 minutes: 15 minutes for Part A and 45 minutes for Parts B and C combined.

Can you go back to Part A after its time ends?

No. Part A is timed separately, so once its 15 minutes are over you move on to Parts B and C and do not return to it.

What kinds of texts appear in Part B?

Short workplace documents such as policy extracts, hospital guidelines, manual sections, internal emails and memos, each with one three-option multiple-choice question.

Is Part C harder than Parts A and B?

It is longer and deeper rather than simply harder. Part C asks about opinion, attitude and inference in two longer articles, while Part A tests speed and Part B tests gist, so each part is difficult in a different way.

Do you need medical knowledge to pass OET Reading?

No. The texts cover general healthcare topics and every answer can be found in, or inferred from, the text itself. The test measures reading skill, not clinical knowledge.

Sources

• OET, What to do before and on test day: OET@Home (Part 2): 60 minutes for the Reading sub-test, split into 15 minutes for Part A and 45 minutes for Parts B and C, with an optional 10-minute break after Part A. https://oet.com/post/oethome-test-day-guide-part-2
• OET, What to do before and on test day: OET Test on Paper (Part 2): the same 60-minute split and 42 question items. https://oet.com/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-oet-test-day-part-2
• IDP, Understanding OET exam format: Part A skimming and scanning, Part B six workplace extracts with one question each, Part C two longer articles with eight questions each. https://ielts.idp.com/philippines/english-tests/oet/oet-exam-format

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