Learning About the OET Reading Section: Part A

The OET Reading Part A is a “summary completion” task. This reading test takes about 15 minutes and you are required to read 3-4 texts, each containing 650 words that are related to a specific topic. You will be given a summary of four short texts with gaps and your task is to fill the gaps (25–35 items) with the correct words taken from the texts. Moreover, the OET Reading Part A measures your ability in the following aspects:
•   source information from multiple texts

•   synthesize information in a meaningful way
•   skim and scan material to retrieve information quickly

Do you want to ace this reading test? Read and follow these simple steps that you can apply in your OET training:

1. Classify the topic

Identifying the topic is essential in this reading test. It will prime your brain with the relevant language on what the texts and summary will be about. You don’t have to use so much time reading the texts just to understand what are the information is all about because the topic gives it to you immediately.

2. Identify the text types

There are four or three texts that you will encounter in the OET reading text. You need to be able to identify their text types as it helps you understand them quickly. These texts might be about statistics, a research abstract, a questionnaire, a definition or a short case study. 

3. Skim and scan the texts

When skimming and scanning each text, you need to find these essential key points:

•        The general idea
•        The headings and subheadings
•          Keywords

During your OET review classes, you can practice skimming and scanning texts as it helps you prepare for the reading examination.

4. Check the summary task

After searching all the essential information in each text, you need to look at the summary paragraph. What you’ll notice in the summary paragraph is that there are clues as to which text you should look at to find the word and fill each gap. Clues such as the summary’s type of text, headings and subheadings present in the summary paragraph, and the keywords present in each summary paragraph.

5. Make sure that the word fits in each gap

In some cases, you cannot take a word directly from the text and put it into the gap in the summary paragraph. What you need to do is to change the word to fit for grammar and sentence structure.

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Read more related article: Test Taker’s Guide to Ace the OET Reading Section: Part B

REFERENCES:

“Improving Performance in the Reading Sub-test | OET, English Language Test for Healthcare.” OET—Occupational English Test. Accessed May 17, 2018, https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/preparation-portal/improving-reading/.

Kaia. “How to Pass OET Reading Part A.” E2 LanguageBlog Aug. 25, 2016. Accessed May 17, 2018. https://blog.e2language.com/pass-oet-reading/

“Reading Test | OET, English Language Test for Healthcare.” OET—Occupational English Test. Accessed May 17, 2018, https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/test-information/reading/