A notice can give two correct instructions for two different situations. Choosing an answer requires matching the question's situation to the right instruction.
The workplace exercises in Building Strong OET Reading Foundations Through Guided Practice Tests include routine arrangements and exceptions. This original non-clinical example makes the condition explicit so you can practise the reading decision.
Read the situation in the question
Words such as “urgent,” “after,” “unless” and “when” can determine which instruction applies. Do not choose the first familiar action without checking that condition.
Fictional library notice
The training library is closed on Thursday. Collect planned workshop materials by Wednesday afternoon. If an unexpected workshop needs materials on Thursday, contact the education office for access to the reserve set.
Keep routine and exception separate
The first instruction concerns a planned need. The second concerns an unexpected Thursday request. Both belong to the notice, but they answer different questions.
Apply the stated condition
Question: What should a tutor do if an unexpected workshop requires materials on Thursday?
Answer: Contact the education office about the reserve set.
Collecting materials on Wednesday would fit a planned workshop. It does not answer the unexpected situation specified in the question.
Do not add an unstated exception
The notice does not say that any tutor may unlock the library or take materials without arranging access. A plausible real-world workaround is not evidence from the passage.
Try making a two-column note headed “condition” and “action.” Put each rule beside the circumstances that activate it. If the question leaves the condition unclear, review its wording and all the options rather than silently supplying your own assumption.
When checking an answer key, confirm that its explanation addresses the same condition as the question. Good review involves understanding the link, not just accepting a letter.
Explore OET Reading — Course 4 to see the course outline, current availability and enrolment options. Use the worked exercise above to identify a skill you would like to practise next.
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OET Reading — Course 4
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Source: OET RD - 169.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.