In the realm of English proficiency testing for healthcare professionals, the Occupational English Test (OET) stands out as the gold standard—especially for those seeking registration in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand. Designed for 12 healthcare professions, including Nursing, Medicine, Physiotherapy, Dentistry, and Pharmacy, OET evaluates candidates' ability to communicate in real-world clinical situations.

Among its four sub-tests, Listening and Reading often generate the most debate. Both require fast processing of complex clinical information under strict time limits. With 2025 updates now allowing more flexible score combinations for AHPRA and the NMC, mastering these two sub-tests has become even more essential.

But which one is harder?

• Auditory learners may find Listening easier.

• Visual processors often prefer Reading.

However, surveys and expert feedback suggest that Listening is more challenging for many candidates due to accents, speed, and the lack of replay options.

At OETPro, thousands of healthcare professionals overcome these challenges using structured resources, practice tests, and expert support.

This article breaks down both sub-tests—structures, question types, challenges, and preparation tips—to help you understand and improve your performance.

1. Understanding OET Listening: The Auditory Challenge

The OET Listening sub-test (?45 minutes) assesses your ability to understand spoken English in a healthcare context. All professions take the same test. It includes consultations, workplace discussions, and healthcare presentations.

Key Features

• Total 42 questions

• Audio plays ONCE only

• Includes accents (UK, Australian, NZ, Indian)

• Tests detail, gist, attitude, inference

• Requires a minimum B (350–440) for registration in most countries

2. OET Listening Breakdown

Part A: Consultation Extracts (15 minutes)

Two extracts (?5 minutes each) featuring healthcare professional + patient conversations.

Questions

• 24 questions total (12 per extract)

• Primarily note-completion

Subtypes

1. Gap-Fill Questions

• Fill in missing words/phrases

• Example: “The patient reports severe dizziness for two days.”

2. Short-Answer Questions

• 1–3 word answers

• Example: “What medication was prescribed?” ? Ibuprofen

Challenges

• Fast-paced conversation

• Medical vocabulary

• Multiple accents

• Requires excellent note-taking

Part B: Short Workplace Extracts (15 minutes)

Six short audios (30–60 seconds each) from team meetings, memos, handovers, or discussions.

Questions

• One MCQ per audio

• Total 6 marks

Subtypes

• Gist / Purpose Questions

  • Identify main idea

• Opinion / Attitude Questions

  • Assess speaker perspective

• Detail Questions

  • Pick out specific information

Challenges

• Implied meanings

• Interruptions or background noise

• Quick synthesis needed

Part C: Presentation Extracts (15 minutes)

Two longer audios (4–5 minutes) such as seminars, interviews, or educational talks.

Questions

• 12 MCQs (6 per extract)

Subtypes

• Opinion & Attitude

• Purpose & Inference

• Detail & Idea-Relationship

Challenges

• Long attention span

• Complex arguments

• Technical vocabulary

• Multi-layered explanations

3. Understanding OET Reading: The Textual Hurdle

The OET Reading sub-test (60 minutes) evaluates comprehension of written healthcare texts.

Key Features

• Total 42 questions

• Includes guidelines, emails, research extracts, and workplace documents

• Combines fast-reading skills (Part A) and deep comprehension (Parts B & C)

Unlike Listening, candidates control their pace, but time pressure is high, especially in Part A.

4. OET Reading Breakdown

Part A: Expeditious Reading (15 minutes)

A rapid-reading task with four short texts (?650 words total).

Questions

• 20 questions

  • 7 matching

  • 8 sentence completion

  • 5 short-answer

Subtypes

1. Matching

• Link statements to the correct text

• Tests location skills

2. Sentence Completion

• Fill gaps with 1–3 exact words from the text

3. Short-Answer Questions

• 1–3 word responses

• Requires precision

Challenges

• Only 15 minutes

• Skimming/scanning at high speed

• Heavy medical vocabulary

Part B: Short Workplace Texts (Shared time with Part C – 45 minutes total)

Six short texts (100–150 words): memos, protocols, policies, emails.

Questions

• 1 MCQ per text

• Total 6 marks

Subtypes

• Purpose

• Attitude

• Reference (pronoun interpretation)

• Specific detail

Challenges

• Ambiguous answer options

• Requires strong inference skills

Part C: Long Reading Texts (Shared with Part B)

Two long texts (600–800 words each), typically journal extracts or clinical articles.

Questions

• 16 MCQs (8 per text)

Subtypes

• Opinion

• Attitude

• Viewpoint distinction

• Relationship between ideas

• Implication

Challenges

• Dense academic language

• Complex structure

• Long sentences

5. OET Listening vs OET Reading: Comparison Table

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6. Which Is More Difficult? Statistics & Insights

Based on student feedback from forums, survey groups, and coaching platforms:

• 78% of test-takers find Listening harder

• 22% find Reading harder

Why Listening Feels Tougher

• No second chance to hear the audio

• Accent variation

• Background noise

• Fast conversations

• Stress of note-taking

Why Reading Can Still Be Hard

• Part A time pressure

• Complex scientific vocabulary

• Long inferential questions in Part C

7. Factors Influencing Difficulty

You may find Listening harder if:

• You lack exposure to Western accents

• You struggle with fast-paced audio

• You rely on replays during practice

• You are not confident with note-taking

You may find Reading harder if:

• You read slowly

• You lack medical vocabulary

• You struggle with inference

• Long texts exhaust you

8. Preparation Tips (Expert-Recommended)

For OET Listening

• Listen to podcasts with UK/Australian accents

• Practice note-taking in real time

• Focus on synonyms and paraphrasing

• Train your ear with transcripts after practice

• Use OET-style audios from trusted platforms

For OET Reading

• Build medical vocabulary (10–15 words/day)

• Practice skimming/scanning with timers

• Read WHO articles, clinical journals, guidelines

• Highlight connectors (however, although, therefore)

• Practice inference and tone recognition

9. Final Verdict: Listening or Reading?

There is no universal answer, but Listening is generally considered harder because:

? Audio plays once
? Multiple accents
? Faster pace
? High cognitive load
? Note-taking pressure

However, candidates with strong listening exposure may find Reading harder due to:

? Dense vocabulary
? Complex inference
? Time pressure in Part A

Knowing your strengths is the first step.
Platforms like OETPro help you identify weaknesses through diagnostics and mock tests that simulate the real exam.