Please remember that there is a strict time limit for Part A (the expeditious reading task), and Part A materials will be collected from you after 15 minutes. You will therefore not have any time to check your Part A answers later in the test.
Let's prepare for OET Reading
All you need to know about the OET Reading sub-test
OET Reading, at a glance
60 minutes in duration
Three parts in the sub-test
42 questions to answer in total
OET Test on Computer at a venue or at home
Helpful tips
Working through free sample tests is a great way to prepare - all without the pressure of test day! Try these sample tests alongside other OET Ready materials such as our Official OET Masterclasses.
OET Test on Paper at a venue
Helpful tips
Working through free sample tests is a great way to prepare - all without the pressure of test day! Try these sample tests alongside other OET Ready materials such as our Official OET Masterclasses.
Videos
Prepare for Reading with these selected videos
Looking for more? Enrol in our OET Reading Course
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Understand the OET Reading sub-test format and requirements
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Build your reading skills, including skimming, scanning and careful reading
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Assess your test readiness with brand new sample tasks
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Review exemplar letters with assessor comments
FAQs
FAQs
We're here to answer all of your Reading sub-test related questions
There is a total of 42 marks available in the Reading sub-test, Part A accounts for 20 marks, Part B accounts for 6 marks and Part C accounts for 16 marks.
In Part A you should write your answers clearly in the spaces given in the question booklet.
In Part B and Part C, you must shade the circle next to the appropriate answer. Answers written elsewhere in your booklet will not be marked.
It is a good idea to use the sample tests to familiarise yourself with the different task formats you might find in the test.
We recommend managing your time wisely, as you will not be given extra time at the end of the sub-test to check your answers. The test is designed so that the time available is enough for you to read, choose your answers, and check your work.
Yes, in Part A you must use exactly the same form of the word or short phrase as given in the four texts.
Abbreviations are not accepted in the Reading sub-test unless they appear in the texts.
Yes, you must use correct spelling in the Reading sub-test to get the marks. Responses that are not spelled correctly will not receive any marks. American and British English spelling variations are accepted, e.g., foetus and fetus are both acceptable. Please note that the Reading sub-test is different from the Listening sub-test in the way misspellings are treated.
Test-takers awarded grade B (a scale score of 350) will typically have a score of at least 30 marks. It is important to note that new reading tests are written for each test session incorporating new material. This means that the grade boundaries are adjusted slightly for each test to allow for minor differences in the difficulty of items included in that particular version. The number of marks needed to secure grade B will therefore vary.
