~39–40 minutes of audio + 5 minutes transfer = 44–45 minutes in the room .
It is crucial to understand that this 40-minute timeframe is not flexible. It is a set recording that plays in real-time. Unlike a reading test where you can skip a question and come back to it later, or pause to think, the OET Listening test moves at its own pace. You cannot pause the audio, and you cannot "save" time on one section to use it on another. oet listening test time
The is generous enough if you respect its structure and ruthless if you fight it. Candidates who fail often do so not because their English is weak, but because they attempt to multitask—reading, writing, listening, and worrying all at once. ~39–40 minutes of audio + 5 minutes transfer
If you are listening to an interview, the audio might stop for about 30 seconds after question 3. This is your checkpoint. You have time to read the next three questions. Managing this pause is the single most important factor in Part C success. If you read slowly during this pause, you will enter the second half of the audio unprepared. Unlike a reading test where you can skip
: You must complete the professional's notes using the information you hear. Part B: Short Workplace Extracts (approx. 10 minutes)
Because Part B has only 15–20 seconds per question, overthinking is fatal. If you cannot decide between B and C, make an educated guess and move on. There is no extra time at the end of Part B to revisit questions.
| Time (min) | Activity | |------------|----------| | 0:00 | Instructions for Part A | | 0:30 | Part A – Extract 1 begins (5 mins audio) | | 5:30 | Short pause to check answers (30 sec) | | 6:00 | Part A – Extract 2 begins (5 mins audio) | | 11:00 | Longer pause to review Part A (45 sec) | | 11:45 | Instructions for Part B | | 12:00 | Extracts 1–6 (each ~1–1.5 mins + 20 sec answering pause) | | 22:00 | Instructions for Part C | | 22:30 | Part C – Extract 1 (5 mins audio) | | 27:30 | Answer 6 questions (60 sec) | | 28:30 | Part C – Extract 2 (5 mins audio) | | 33:30 | Answer final 6 questions (60 sec) | | 34:30 | End of audio. Paper-based: 5 mins to transfer answers |