Exam Pattern
OET Exam Pattern
OET (Occupational English Test)
This is a short focused set rather than the OET Reading section. Sixteen questions across two texts in 32 minutes, two minutes each, with nothing deducted for a wrong answer. OET is built for healthcare professionals and draws its reading material from that setting, which is what separates it from a general English test. Read a score here as practice on those text types rather than as a prediction of the graded result.
Reading Part C
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 16 |
| Total marks | 16 |
| Duration | 32 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Text 1, Text 2 |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Text 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Text 2 | 8 | 8 |
Timing: Single composite 32-minute timer for both texts combined: no sectional lock.
The official OET Reading sub-test has three parts sharing 60 minutes total: Part A (20 items in 15 minutes, matching, short answer, and sentence completion, all typed rather than multiple choice), Part B (6 short texts, one 3-option multiple-choice question each), and Part C (2 longer texts of around 800 words, 8 4-option multiple-choice questions each), with Parts B and C sharing a combined 45-minute allocation. This mock covers only Part C, the only part in the 4-option multiple-choice format this site supports: Part A is typed short-answer and matching rather than multiple choice, and Part B uses 3 answer options rather than 4. This mock matches the full official Part C question count (16 questions) with a proportional 32-minute duration estimate, since Parts B and C are not timed separately in the official test. Reading is identical across all 12 OET professions (nursing, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and others); only the Writing and Speaking sub-tests are profession-specific. There is no negative marking. This mock shows your raw score; the official test reports a scaled 0-500 score instead.
Official source · checked 15 August 2026The OET Reading Part C exam pattern is 16 questions carrying 16 marks, to be answered in 32 minutes. That works out to about 120 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 2 sections are Text 1 and Text 2. All 2 sections carry 8 marks each, so none of them repays disproportionate preparation and a weakness anywhere costs the same. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
OET Reading Part C marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 1 mark.
- There is no negative marking, so leaving a question blank can only cost you: an unattempted question and a wrong one score the same zero. Attempt everything.
- Worked example: attempt 13 of the 16 questions and get 10 right and 3 wrong, and you score 10 out of 16.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 120 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free OET mock test to see where your time actually goes.
OET exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in OET?
OET has no negative marking. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in OET?
OET has 16 questions. That leaves about 120 seconds per question in OET.
What are the total marks in OET?
OET is out of 16 marks, which works out at 1 mark a question.
How long is the OET exam?
OET runs for 32 minutes.
Does OET have a sectional time limit?
No. OET runs every section on one composite timer of 32 minutes, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.