5 Study Tips That Just Don't Work for OET Review

If you find yourself falling your practice exams despite weeks of intensive OccupationalEnglish Test (OET) review sessions, don’t worry. This does not automatically mean that you’re doomed to fail the high-stakes exam. It could just mean that you adopted inefficient study tips.

Not sure which of your study habits are impeding your OET training? Check out the ones discussed below. While most of these review tips do enhance learning and recall, they are not as effective when utilized in a healthcare-focused language learning setup. If you’re guilty of committing any of them, consider dropping them from your study routine. 

1. Multitasking

Multitasking is not advisable for test reviews that center on language application, especially ones that revolve around a specific context like healthcare. You need to pay full attention to your study sessions. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time understanding and remembering your lessons.  

2. Skipping subjects that you think you’ve already mastered

Think your English-speaking abilities are on-point? Already confident with your referral-writing skills? Practice them anyway. Hone your listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills during your OET preparation period. Practice everything you learned in your OET course.

3. Studying in places that are not study-conducive

Changing your study space from time to time does help keep your review engaging. However, make sure you choose places that are study-conducive for you. Don’t study in coffee shops if you find hard to concentrate in public places. Likewise, don’t study in locations that make you feel sleepy (e.g., your bed). Choose your study spots carefully.

4. Being too comfortable when you study

Achieving the optimal comfort level for OET training is tricky. It’s important that you feel comfortable during your study sessions, especially if you don’t want to finish them with neck and back aches. However, it’s also crucial that you’re not too comfortable. Otherwise, you’ll grow drowsy and complacent. So, make sure you’re not too comfortable during your review sessions.

5. Rewriting your OET course notes

Doing something over and over again will help you remember it later—which is why rewriting is one of the most recommended tips for memorization. Despite this, it’s not the best strategy for OET review. Simply rewriting your notes—not adding any new information or making any changes to how it’s presented—confines your knowledge to what you’re replicating. This could pose problems if the information presented differently in the test.

Set yourself up for OET success. Make sure your review routine is free of these practices. Complement your OET course with on-point study tips to boost your chances of going over and beyond your grade goals.

References:

"3 Study Mistakes and How to Avoid Them." Scape. Accessed August 8, 2018. https://www.scape.com/en-uk/life/study-mistakes.

Akresh-Gonzales, Josette. “10 Common Mistakes When Studying for the Boards.” NEJM Knowledge. March 21, 2017. Accessed August 8, 2018. https://knowledgeplus.nejm.org/blog/10-mistakes-studying-for-the-boards/.

Fleming, Grace. "5 Bad Study Habits and How to Fix Them." ThoughtCo. Accessed August 8, 2018. https://www.thoughtco.com/bad-study-habits-1857541.

Shoore, Michael. "7 Learning and Study Mistakes Even Good Students." Parents Canada. Accessed August 8, 2018. http://www.parentscanada.com/school/7-learning-and-study-mistakes-even-good-students.