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OET Reading has 42 questions in 60 minutes. Part A gets its own 15 minutes; then you have 45 minutes for Parts B and C together, and you decide how to split the 45 minutes between them. Reading is the same for every profession. OET Test Handbook 2026.
| Part | Time | Questions and texts | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 15 minutes on its own | 20 questions on 4 short texts: matching, short answer and sentence completion | Finding and recording information quickly |
| B | 45 minutes shared with Part C | 6 short workplace extracts, one 3-option question each | Detail, purpose and main ideas |
| C | 45 minutes shared with Part B | 2 extracts from longer healthcare articles, eight 4-option questions each | Main points, detail, attitudes, opinions and vocabulary in context |
Part A: find details fast
Part A tests how quickly you can find and write down information. Read the question first, find the text that answers it, and check the detail before you write. Try a full Part A practice set to practise under the 15-minute limit.
Parts B and C: understand meaning
Part B uses short workplace texts; Part C uses extracts from longer healthcare articles. Because the 45 minutes is shared, practise both parts together under one timer so you find out how long each takes you. OET Test Handbook 2026.
Try a Part B-style question
Written by OETify for practice; the notice is made up.
Staff may use the quiet room during breaks. Before entering, check the booking board. If a staff support session is booked, use another break area until the session ends. Leave the room ready for its next user.
What does the notice ask staff to do before using the room?
A. Check whether a support session is booked.
B. Book a support session for their next break.
C. Ask the previous user to prepare the room.
Choose your answer before you open the explanation.
Check the answer
The answer is A: the notice tells staff to check the booking board, and the next sentence says what to do if a session is booked.
B turns a check into a booking; the notice never asks staff to book a session. C moves the job to the previous user, but the last sentence tells the current user to leave the room ready.
When you review, underline the words that decide the answer, then say how each wrong option changes them. That teaches you more than simply getting it right.
Raw marks and scores
Each correct answer earns 1 mark, out of 42. OET says candidates awarded a B typically get at least 30 marks, but 30 is not a fixed pass mark, and OET does not publish a full table converting marks to scores. OET results and scoring.
So treat practice marks as a guide, not a predicted score. The OET score guide explains how scores and grades work.
Learn from each wrong answer
Practise the skill behind your mistake. If you chose an option that changed the action in a notice, compare the action in the text with the action in your answer. If you missed a vocabulary question in Part C, reread the whole sentence around the word before choosing a meaning.
On OET on Paper you write your answers by hand; on OET on Computer you answer on screen. Choose paper or computer samples to match. OET’s computer samples do not save your answers, so write them down and check them against the key. OET Test Teachers Handbook 2024; OET computer and home sample tests.
OET’s Reading preparation page has Part A lessons and guided sample practice.
Practise Reading with OETify
Start with the free Part A practice set. In the OETify app, Reading feedback points to the part of the text that holds each answer and explains it. A free baseline shows whether Reading is the sub-test to work on first.
Reading questions
- How long is OET Reading Part A?
- 15 minutes. Part A is timed on its own, before Parts B and C.
- How much time do Parts B and C have?
- 45 minutes together. You decide how to split the 45 minutes between Parts B and C.
- How many questions are in OET Reading?
- 42 questions: 20 in Part A, 6 in Part B and 16 in Part C.
- Is 30 out of 42 always grade B?
- No. OET says grade B candidates typically get at least 30 marks, but 30 is not a fixed pass mark. OET does not publish a full table converting raw marks to scores.
- Where can you try an OET Reading practice test?
- OETify has a free Part A practice set. OET also offers free paper and interactive computer sample tests; the computer samples do not save your answers, so write them down and check them against the key.
OETify is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by OET.