The Three Parts of the Listening Sub-test
The Listening sub-test is divided into three distinct parts, each designed to assess different real-world listening skills that healthcare professionals rely on every day. From patient consultations to workplace discussions and professional presentations, each section reflects authentic scenarios you are likely to encounter in practice.
Part A: Consultation Extracts with Note-Completion Tasks
In Part A, you step into the role of a healthcare professional listening to patient consultations and taking notes.
This section includes two unrelated recordings, each lasting about five minutes. In each recording, you will hear a conversation between a health professional and a patient. Your task is to complete gaps in a set of notes based on what you hear.
These notes represent what the professional might write during the consultation—but some key details are missing. As you listen, you must follow the conversation carefully and fill in the numbered gaps with the exact information from the recording.
The notes are structured to follow the same order as the conversation, helping you track the flow of information. The recordings may come from a variety of healthcare settings and could involve different professionals such as specialists, therapists, or primary-care clinicians.
Most commonly, these consultations focus on a patient explaining the background of an ongoing condition—often to a professional they are meeting for the first time. However, follow-up consultations can also appear.
A key challenge in this section is connecting everyday patient language with the medical terminology used in the notes. While the notes may include medical terms, they are designed so that no specialist knowledge is required.
To succeed, you must:
- Listen for specific details
- Identify key words and cues
- Avoid repeating or adding information not heard
- Ensure your answers do not contradict the notes
Each gap should be filled with a single word or short phrase taken directly from the recording. Both UK and US spelling are accepted.
The two recordings are completely independent, with different speakers and contexts. You will have time to read the notes before each recording begins, and each recording is played once only.
Each correct answer earns 1 mark.
Part B: Short Workplace Extracts with Multiple-Choice Questions
Part B focuses on shorter, fast-paced listening situations typical of everyday healthcare environments.
You will hear six unrelated extracts, each about one minute long. These recordings reflect real workplace communication and may include:
- Conversations between healthcare professionals
- Patient handovers
- Briefings or instructions
- Interactions with patients or carers outside formal consultations
Some extracts are dialogues, while others are monologues (for example, a professional giving instructions to a team).
Each extract is followed by a three-option multiple-choice question, testing your ability to:
- Understand key details
- Grasp the main idea (gist)
- Identify what action should be taken
- Make inferences (understand what is implied but not directly stated)
In some cases, you will need to interpret dense medical information, such as identifying priorities in a patient handover. In others, you may need to focus on the overall message, such as the key takeaway from a briefing.
When patients or carers are involved, the emphasis is often on understanding their concerns, feelings, and everyday language, rather than technical medical input.
Each extract begins with a context sentence, which is both spoken and printed, so you know who is speaking and in what situation. You will have time to read the question before listening.
Each recording is played once only, and each correct answer earns 1 mark.
Part C: Longer Extracts with Multiple-Choice Questions
Part C challenges your ability to follow extended discussions and complex ideas.
This section includes two longer recordings, each around five minutes long. These may take the form of:
- Professional presentations
- Interviews or podcasts on healthcare topics
You may hear one or two speakers, often addressing a wider audience of healthcare professionals.
Unlike Parts A and B, these recordings may not always focus on direct workplace interactions. Instead, they reflect the kind of content found in continuing professional development (CPD) materials.
Even when topics are specific, you are not expected to have specialist knowledge. The focus is on understanding:
- Different viewpoints and perspectives
- The main speaker’s opinions and experiences
- Supporting ideas from researchers, colleagues, or patients
Speakers often use patient examples to illustrate their points, making the content more relatable and easier to follow.
You will answer a series of three-option multiple-choice questions, which follow the order of the recording. These questions test your understanding of both the main ideas and supporting details.
As in Part B, each extract begins with a context sentence, and you will have time to read the questions before listening. Each recording is played once only, and each correct answer earns 1 mark.
Preparation Tips
Success in the Listening sub-test depends not just on language ability, but also on strategy and awareness.
Before You Listen
You are given preparation time before each recording. Use this time wisely:
- Read the questions carefully
- Predict what you might hear
- Think about the context, speakers, and topic
On a computer-based test, make sure to scroll down and view the entire task before the audio begins.
Get Comfortable with Real-World English
The recordings include a wide variety of:
- Accents
- Speaking styles
- Professional and patient voices
Patients often describe symptoms using everyday language, not medical terms. To prepare effectively, expose yourself to:
- Different English accents
- Speakers of different ages and backgrounds
- Realistic healthcare communication
Use both context and language clues to interpret meaning.