The listening test is divided into four sections. The level of difficulty increases from Section 1 to Section 4. Sections 1 and 2 are based on social situations, whereas the topics in Sections 3 and 4 relate to an academic or training context.
Section | Description of listening text | Preparation |
1 | A conversation between two speakers in a social situation about an everyday topic, e.g. an interview or a dialogue between friends. | Unit 1 |
2 | A monologue (with or without an introduction by another speaker) giving information about an everyday topic, e.g. a radio programme or a guide giving a tour. | Unit 2 |
3 | A conversation between two, three or four speakers in an academic or training context, e.g. a discussion between a student and a tutor. | Unit 3 |
4 | A monologue in an academic or training context, e.g. a lecture or presentation. | Unit 4 |
Each section of the listening paper includes one or more of the task types listed in the following table. You can find examples of each of these task types throughout this listening module.
Task type | Example |
Completing a form | Unit 1C.4 |
Completing a table | Unit 1D.1, Unit 2C.4, Unit 4B.4 |
Completing notes | Unit 1D.2, Unit 4B.3 |
Labelling a diagram/map | Unit 2A.4, Unit 4C.4, Unit 4C.5 |
Multiple choice | Unit 2B.2 |
Matching | Unit 3A.2 |
Completing a summary | Unit 4A.1 |
Completing sentences | Unit 4D.4 |
Completing a flow-chart | Unit 3B.2 |
Short answers | Unit 2D.3 |
Unit 1 |
A: Predicting answers |
B: Revising numbers |
C: The alphabet and spelling aloud |
D: Note completion |
Unit 2 |
A: Labelling a map |
B: Paraphrasing |
C: Table completion |
D: Anticipating what you are about to hear |
Unit 3 |
A: Matching |
B: Making predictions |
C: Reading instructions carefully |
D: Common collocations |
Unit 4 |
A: Summary completion |
B: Stages and signposts |
C: Labelling a diagram |
D: Opinions and facts |
Module Test |
Test |