How to Prepare for OET, Step by Step
To prepare for OET, first take one sub-test of each skill to find your level. Then practise your weakest parts in short timed sessions, and review your mistakes after each one. In the last few weeks, sit full mock tests under exam timing. This guide explains each step and how to do it on OET Practice.
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Before you start: know your target
Find out which OET grade your registration board or employer needs for each sub-test. Many ask for grade B, but requirements differ by country and profession. Some boards also have rules about combining results from different test dates. Write down your target grade for each skill.
If you are new to the exam, read our OET test format guide first. To work out how much time you need, see how long to prepare for OET.
1. Find your level in all four skills
Choose one mock test in the exam library and take one sub-test of each skill. At this stage your score matters less than what you learn from it: which skill is weakest, and where in that skill you lose marks.
- Listening and Reading are marked instantly. You see your score and practice grade when you submit.
- Writing and Speaking are marked after you submit. Writing and Speaking get AI-assisted feedback, reviewed by our team. A person on our team reviews every Speaking result before you see it.
You don't have to do all four on the same day. Spread them over your first few days, and note what felt hardest. It might be the time limit, vocabulary, spelling, keeping up with the audio, or deciding what to include in your letter.
2. Practise your weakest parts
Once you know your weakest skill, practise the part of it where you lose the most marks. Work on one part at a time, so that you can see whether your score on that part is going up.
On OET Practice, start a Listening or Reading test in Practice mode and choose only the parts you want, such as Listening Part A or Reading Part C. Each part has its own timer, so you work on speed as well as accuracy. When a part feels comfortable, use Simulation test mode to take the whole sub-test under exam conditions.
3. Review every mistake
Review each test before you start the next one. If you skip the review, you are likely to make the same mistakes again.
- For Listening and Reading, open your result to see each question with your answer and the correct answer. Look for patterns, such as spelling, numbers, missed details, or answers that only partly match the question. Your dashboard also keeps a list of wrong answers to review.
- For Writing, read your letter next to the feedback and rewrite the weakest paragraph. Our OET Writing guide explains what each criterion looks for.
- For Speaking, listen to your recordings of the warm-up and both role-plays, then read the feedback. Notice where you hesitated, missed the patient's concern or forgot to check that they understood.
If you think something was marked incorrectly, open the result and choose Request a review. A person on our team checks it. If an answer key was wrong, we correct it and update the results.
4. Repeat with new tests and track your progress
Keep practising and reviewing, using different tests so that you meet new material. You can also retake a test to see whether you have improved on the same paper. Your history keeps every attempt.
Your dashboard shows your performance and average score by skill, your best practice grade, the time you spend practising and your daily practice streak. Check it once a week, and move your focus to whichever skill is now furthest from your target.
5. Sit full mock tests before your exam
In the last four weeks, sit at least one full mock test covering Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. On OET Practice each sub-test in a full mock is timed separately, as in the real test. Take it in a quiet room, without breaks inside a sub-test and without notes.
Use the results to choose your final focus. If one skill is clearly behind, spend most of your remaining time on it, and keep the other skills going with one short session each a week.
A sample week
Change the days and times to suit your schedule. The routine works best when you practise and review regularly.
| Day | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Practice mode: one part of your weakest skill, then review your answers. | 30–40 min |
| Tuesday | Write one letter under exam timing and submit it for feedback. | 45 min |
| Wednesday | Practice mode: a different part of Listening or Reading, then review. | 30–40 min |
| Thursday | Complete the Speaking role-plays, then listen to your recordings. | 30 min |
| Friday | Go through your wrong answers list and any new Writing or Speaking feedback. Rewrite one paragraph. | 30 min |
| Saturday | A full sub-test of your weakest skill under exam timing. | 45–60 min |
| Sunday | Rest, or read one of our guides. | Optional |
How OET Practice helps
| What you need | How OET Practice helps |
|---|---|
| Regular practice | Mock tests for all four sub-tests, Practice mode for single parts, and Save & Exit so you can finish later. If you leave a test unfinished, we send you one reminder. |
| Quick results | Listening and Reading are marked instantly, with a practice grade (A–E) when you submit. |
| Learning from mistakes | Answer review after every Listening and Reading test, a list of wrong answers to review, written feedback on Writing and Speaking, and your Speaking recordings to listen back to. |
| Results you can trust | Request a review of any result. If we correct an answer key, we re-mark the test and email you if your result changes. |
| Seeing your progress | A dashboard with performance by skill, your best practice grade, time spent, your practice streak and every attempt in your history. |
| Exam readiness | Full mock tests with each sub-test timed separately, as in the real test. |
Results are practice bands (A–E) for learning feedback, not official OET scores. OET Practice is independent and not affiliated with OET or Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment.
Signs you are getting ready
We can't predict your official result, but these are good signs that you are close to ready:
Readiness checklist
- My practice grades are at or above my target in each skill, across at least two or three different tests.
- I finish every Listening and Reading part within the time.
- My Writing feedback no longer mentions a missing purpose or irrelevant content.
- In Speaking, I start each role-play confidently and check that the patient understands.
- I have completed at least one full mock test under exam conditions.
- I know which mistakes I still make and what I do to avoid them.
If you only have two weeks
Spend most of your time on the skills furthest from your target.
| Days | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Take one sub-test of each skill to see where you stand. |
| 3–10 | Each day, practise one or two timed parts of your weakest skill and review your answers. Write at least three letters and complete at least three sets of Speaking role-plays. |
| 11–12 | Sit a full mock test under exam conditions. |
| 13–14 | Go through the mock test results and rest before the exam. |
If you are taking OET on computer, read our tips for taking OET on computer before the day.
Start on OET Practice
-
Take your first sub-test
Open the exam library, choose a mock test and start with Listening or Reading to get a result straight away.
Open the exam library -
Check your dashboard
After a few tests, look at your performance by skill and choose the part to work on next.
Go to your dashboard -
Read the guide for your weakest skill
Each guide explains how that part of the test works and links back to practice.
Browse the guides
Sources
- OET test information (opens in a new tab) — OET (oet.com)
- OET Writing sub-test (opens in a new tab) — OET (oet.com)
- OET Speaking sub-test (opens in a new tab) — OET (oet.com)
Written by OET Practice team. Last reviewed: 26 October 2026. Read our editorial policy .