There are multiple texts in the occupational English reading sub test. And there is not enough time to read every single word or to get sidetracked reading irrelevant parts of the text. There are skills you can learn to help you to read more efficiently, so you can find the information you need quickly.
Nurses Note
The texts in the reading sub-skills are typical of the texts that nurses would need to read when they are working as a nurse. Similar to what you are used to reading in your country.
Stay Focussed
During the reading part of the OET, always have a reason for reading. Always keep the question you are trying to answer in your mind.
Don’t get trapped into thinking you need to read every single word in the text. There isn’t enough time. Instead, try some of the following tips for quickly finding the answers that follow.
Skimming for Answers
Skimming is where you quickly look through the text for key words that may be relevant to the information you are looking for. Sometimes you will find the words or synonyms of words from the question in text. That’s when you know you have probably found the answer.
It’s a good idea to read the headings, sub headings and any bolded words in the text. They give you a good idea of what the text is about and the important parts of the text. (Think of how you read in order to find what you need in your native language.)
I don’t know that word
If you find a word you don’t know in the text, just keep reading because you can often guess what it means by the sentences around the unfamiliar word. (Think about what you do when you find an unfamiliar word when you are reading in your native language. It’s the same in English.)
Take notice of words in brackets because these words often explain the previous sentence. That’s very valuable if the previous sentence is the one with the unfamiliar word.
Another tip when you aren’t sure of the meaning of a word is to look for words like, -that is, -by that I mean, – i.e. (short form of that is.), – that is to say, -in
Tables are Important
If there are tables and graphs in the text, take notice of the titles and labels for valuable information. There is a high likelihood the answers to some of the questions will be in the tables.
Scanning for More
Once you have found a word in the text that you think might be part of your answer, you can start reading the sentences around that word, so you can make sure you have the right information. This is called scanning.
Remember. Don’t read every single word. Just what you need to know whether you have the right answer.
These techniques take some practise, but they are a valuable skill, so it’s worth the effort of practising. It will help you to score high in the OET reading section. These skills are transferrable to other exams also.
