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EETC English Exam study materials
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EETC English Exam practice questions

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Question 1Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The train leaves at a quarter to nine." What time does the train leave?

  1. 8:15
  2. 8:45 Correct answer.
  3. 9:15
  4. 9:45

Explanation

In English time expressions, "a quarter to" means fifteen minutes before the stated hour, so a quarter to nine is 8:45. Learners sometimes confuse "to" with "past", which reverses the direction. The preposition "to" always points backward from the hour.

Question 2Listening Comprehension

A receptionist says: "Dr. Lane is tied up until noon, but she can see you at twelve thirty." What does the receptionist mean about Dr. Lane?

  1. She is late for the appointment.
  2. She has cancelled the appointment.
  3. She is away on holiday.
  4. She is busy until noon. Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrasal expression "tied up" describes someone who is occupied and unavailable because of other commitments. The sentence says this lasts until noon, after which an appointment is offered. Recognizing common idioms for busyness is essential in scheduling conversations.

Question 3Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I'd rather take the early flight, even though it costs more." What does he prefer?

  1. A train instead
  2. The early flight Correct answer.
  3. Neither flight
  4. The cheaper, later flight

Explanation

The structure "would rather" introduces a preference, and the phrase after it names the early flight as the choice. The clause beginning "even though" concedes a drawback, but it does not change the preference. Listeners must separate the concession from the main preference.

Question 4Listening Comprehension

A colleague says: "Could you give me a hand with these boxes?" What is she asking for?

  1. Help carrying something Correct answer.
  2. A spare set of keys
  3. A written report
  4. An opinion on a design

Explanation

The idiom "give someone a hand" means to offer physical or practical help. The mention of boxes confirms that the help needed is carrying them. Idioms of this kind cannot be understood by interpreting each word literally.

Question 5Listening Comprehension

A weather report says: "Expect scattered showers in the morning, clearing by late afternoon." What should listeners expect?

  1. Some rain early, then dry weather Correct answer.
  2. Clear skies from sunrise
  3. Heavy rain all day
  4. Snow in the afternoon

Explanation

"Scattered showers" means light, intermittent rain in various places, and "clearing" indicates the rain will stop. The time markers place rain in the morning and dryness later. Combining the weather term with the timing gives the full forecast.

Question 6Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "The meeting has been put off until Friday." What happened to the meeting?

  1. It finished early.
  2. It started on time.
  3. It was cancelled.
  4. It was moved to a later date. Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "put off" means to postpone or delay something to a later time. The new date, Friday, confirms that the meeting is rescheduled rather than removed. Phrasal verbs often carry meanings that differ from the base verb.

Question 7Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "There were only a handful of people at the lecture." How many people attended?

  1. Exactly five people
  2. A very large number
  3. No one at all
  4. A small number Correct answer.

Explanation

The quantifier "a handful of" is an approximation meaning a small quantity, not a literal count of five. Listeners should treat such vague quantifiers as rough estimates. Interpreting them as exact numbers is a common listening error.

Question 8Listening Comprehension

A woman asks: "Do you mind if I open the window?" What is she doing?

  1. Offering to close the window
  2. Refusing a request
  3. Complaining about the temperature
  4. Asking permission Correct answer.

Explanation

The pattern "Do you mind if I..." is a polite way to ask for permission to do something. The speaker wants to open the window and is checking whether that is acceptable. Recognizing polite indirect requests is a key listening skill.

Question 9Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I was going to call you, but my phone died." Why did he not call?

  1. He was too busy at work.
  2. His phone battery ran out. Correct answer.
  3. He lost his phone.
  4. He forgot the number.

Explanation

The expression "my phone died" is an informal way of saying the battery ran out of power. The structure "was going to... but" signals that an intended action was prevented by the stated reason. Understanding this cause-and-effect pattern is important in narration.

Question 10Listening Comprehension

A tour guide says: "We'll spend two hours at the museum, then head straight to the harbour." What happens after the museum visit?

  1. The group visits another museum.
  2. The group goes directly to the harbour. Correct answer.
  3. The group returns to the hotel.
  4. The group has lunch.

Explanation

The word "then" marks the next step in a sequence, and "head straight to" means to go directly to a place without stopping. The harbour is therefore the immediate next destination. Sequencing words such as "then" and "after that" are essential cues in guided-tour listening.

Question 11Listening Comprehension

A customer says: "This jacket is nice, but it's a bit on the small side." What does she imply?

  1. She thinks it is too expensive.
  2. She wants a larger size. Correct answer.
  3. She wants a refund.
  4. She dislikes the colour.

Explanation

The phrase "on the small side" is a softened way of saying something is too small. The concession "nice, but" signals a problem that the speaker would like resolved. In service encounters, such indirect comments usually function as requests for a different size.

Question 12Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "Had I known about the roadworks, I would have left earlier." What is true?

  1. He knew about the roadworks but left late.
  2. He knew about the roadworks and left early.
  3. He did not know and still left early.
  4. He did not know about the roadworks and left late. Correct answer.

Explanation

This inverted conditional describes an unreal past situation: in reality, he did not know and did not leave earlier. The "would have" clause states the imagined result that did not happen. Listeners must invert the stated condition to recover the actual facts.

Question 13Listening Comprehension

A manager says: "Feel free to run your ideas past me before the launch." What does she want her team to do?

  1. Submit ideas only after the launch
  2. Send ideas directly to clients
  3. Avoid sharing ideas with her
  4. Discuss ideas with her beforehand Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "run something past someone" means to explain an idea to that person for feedback or approval. The time phrase "before the launch" confirms the discussion should happen in advance. This idiom is common in workplace instructions.

Question 14Listening Comprehension

A radio presenter says: "Tickets sold out within minutes, so we're running a competition instead." What does this tell us?

  1. No tickets remain for sale. Correct answer.
  2. Tickets are still available.
  3. The event has been cancelled.
  4. The competition replaces the event.

Explanation

"Sold out" means all tickets have been purchased and none remain available. The presenter offers a competition as an alternative way to attend. Distinguishing between an event being cancelled and its tickets being gone is important for accurate comprehension.

Question 15Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "I can't make it to the dinner on Saturday, I'm afraid." What is she doing?

  1. Confirming a booking
  2. Asking for directions
  3. Accepting an invitation
  4. Declining an invitation Correct answer.

Explanation

The expression "I can't make it" politely means the speaker is unable to attend. The softening phrase "I'm afraid" signals that the speaker regrets delivering this refusal. Recognizing polite refusals helps listeners avoid mistaking them for acceptance.

Question 16Listening Comprehension

A technician says: "The printer's playing up again, so use the one on the second floor." What does he mean?

  1. The printer is malfunctioning. Correct answer.
  2. The printer has been replaced.
  3. The printer is working perfectly.
  4. The printer needs new paper.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "play up" describes a device that is not working properly or intermittently. The advice to use another printer confirms that the first one is faulty. This informal expression is common in British workplace speech.

Question 17Listening Comprehension

A lecturer says: "By the time the results were published, most participants had already left the study." What is the order of events?

  1. Participants left before the results were published. Correct answer.
  2. Participants never left the study.
  3. Participants left at the same time as publication.
  4. Participants left after the results were published.

Explanation

The past perfect "had already left" shows an action completed before another past event, which is the publication of results. The phrase "by the time" reinforces this earlier completion. Past perfect is the key grammatical signal for ordering events in narratives.

Question 18Listening Comprehension

A caller says: "I'm ringing about the flat advertised online. Is it still available?" What is the purpose of the call?

  1. To arrange a repair
  2. To complain about an advert
  3. To enquire about renting a property Correct answer.
  4. To cancel a viewing

Explanation

"I'm ringing about" states the reason for the call, and the question about availability confirms the purpose is a rental enquiry. The advertised flat is the topic of interest. Identifying purpose statements early in a call helps listeners predict what follows.

Question 19Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "It's not that I don't like the plan; it's just that the timing worries me." What is her attitude?

  1. She supports the plan but has a concern. Correct answer.
  2. She has not read the plan.
  3. She rejects the plan completely.
  4. She is indifferent to the plan.

Explanation

The double negative "not that I don't like" actually softens into approval of the plan. The "it's just that" clause introduces a specific reservation about timing. Listeners must untangle layered negation to recover the speaker's real position.

Question 20Listening Comprehension

A shop assistant says: "If you'd like to take a seat, someone will be with you shortly." What should the customer do?

  1. Fill in a form
  2. Wait to be served Correct answer.
  3. Leave the shop
  4. Pay immediately

Explanation

The polite conditional "if you'd like to" is an indirect instruction to sit and wait. "Someone will be with you shortly" promises that assistance is coming soon. Service staff often use indirect forms to manage queues politely.

Question 21Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I've been meaning to sort out my insurance for weeks." What does he mean?

  1. He has already sorted out his insurance.
  2. He is an insurance agent.
  3. He has intended to deal with it but has not yet. Correct answer.
  4. He has cancelled his insurance.

Explanation

The structure "have been meaning to" expresses an intention that has continued over time without being fulfilled. "Sort out" means to organise or resolve something. Together they describe a postponed task, a very common pattern in spoken English.

Question 22Listening Comprehension

A presenter says: "Rather than cutting costs, the company chose to invest in staff training." What did the company do?

  1. It did neither of these things.
  2. It did both: cut costs and trained staff.
  3. It spent money on training instead of reducing costs. Correct answer.
  4. It reduced its spending on training.

Explanation

The construction "rather than X, Y" marks X as the rejected alternative and Y as the action actually taken. Here the company invested in training and did not cut costs. Recognizing contrast structures prevents listeners from attributing the wrong action to the subject.

Question 23Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "The film was nowhere near as good as the book." What does she think?

  1. The film was slightly better than the book.
  2. The film was much worse than the book. Correct answer.
  3. She has not read the book.
  4. The film and book were equally good.

Explanation

The intensifier "nowhere near as... as" means far less than the comparison point, so the film is much worse than the book. This structure expresses a strong difference rather than a slight one. Distinguishing degree of comparison is a frequent listening challenge.

Question 24Listening Comprehension

A station announcement says: "The 7:15 service to Oxford will depart from platform 4 instead of platform 2." What change is announced?

  1. A different destination
  2. A different platform Correct answer.
  3. A different departure time
  4. A cancelled service

Explanation

The phrase "instead of" contrasts the new platform with the original one, so only the platform has changed. The time, 7:15, and the destination, Oxford, remain the same. Station announcements often use "instead of" to flag last-minute changes.

Question 25Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "Not only did she finish the report early, but she also found time to check everyone else's." What does this emphasise?

  1. She did more than was required. Correct answer.
  2. She refused to help others.
  3. She finished late.
  4. She made mistakes in the report.

Explanation

The "not only... but also" structure highlights two achievements, presenting the second as an additional one beyond expectation. Inverting the subject after "not only" is a formal emphasis device. The overall effect is praise for exceeding expectations.

Question 26Listening Comprehension

A receptionist says: "The doctor is running about twenty minutes behind schedule." What does the receptionist mean?

  1. The doctor will see patients later than planned. Correct answer.
  2. The doctor is twenty minutes early today.
  3. The doctor has already finished for the day.
  4. The doctor has cancelled the remaining appointments.

Explanation

The phrase "running behind schedule" describes a delay compared with the planned timetable, so appointments will happen later than expected. It does not mean the appointments are cancelled or that the doctor has gone home.

Question 27Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I'll give the talk a miss tonight; I'm completely worn out." Why will he not attend?

  1. He is too tired. Correct answer.
  2. He forgot the time.
  3. He dislikes the speaker.
  4. He has another appointment.

Explanation

The idiom "worn out" means extremely tired, and "give it a miss" means to skip something. Together they show that exhaustion is the reason for not attending.

Question 28Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "Take the second turning on the left, and you'll see the car park right in front of you." What is she doing?

  1. Complaining about traffic
  2. Booking a parking space
  3. Asking for directions
  4. Describing a route Correct answer.

Explanation

The speaker uses imperative directions such as "take the second turning" and tells the listener what they will see, which is how people give directions. She is not asking anything or making a complaint.

Question 29Listening Comprehension

A colleague says: "Could you give me a hand with these boxes?" What does he want?

  1. A phone call
  2. A second opinion
  3. A written report
  4. Physical help Correct answer.

Explanation

The expression "give me a hand" is an idiom meaning to help someone, and the mention of boxes makes clear that the help needed is physical. It is not a request for advice or paperwork.

Question 30Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "The tickets cost me an arm and a leg." What does she mean?

  1. The tickets were a gift.
  2. The tickets were hard to find.
  3. The tickets were very expensive. Correct answer.
  4. The tickets were sold out.

Explanation

The idiom "cost an arm and a leg" is used to say that something was extremely expensive. The literal meaning of body parts is not intended, so the sentence is about price.

Question 31Listening Comprehension

A librarian says: "You can keep the book for three weeks, but after that there's a small charge for each day." What is she explaining?

  1. The borrowing rules Correct answer.
  2. How to join the library
  3. Where to return books
  4. The opening hours

Explanation

She states the loan period and the penalty for late return, which together describe the rules for borrowing. She is not talking about membership, location or times of opening.

Question 32Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I've been trying to get hold of Anna all morning, but her line's always engaged." What is the problem?

  1. Anna has lost her phone.
  2. Anna has changed her number.
  3. Anna is away on holiday.
  4. Anna's phone is constantly in use. Correct answer.

Explanation

The expression "the line is engaged" means the telephone is in use because someone is already on a call. The word "always" shows this has happened repeatedly.

Question 33Listening Comprehension

A weather presenter says: "Expect showers to clear by mid-morning, with bright spells this afternoon." What will the weather be like later?

  1. Stormy all day
  2. Wet and windy
  3. Sunny at times Correct answer.
  4. Cold and foggy

Explanation

"Bright spells" refers to short periods of sunshine, and the rain is said to clear by mid-morning. The forecast therefore predicts some sunshine in the afternoon.

Question 34Listening Comprehension

A man says: "I'd sooner take the train than drive into the city on a weekday." What is his preference?

  1. He plans to drive at weekends.
  2. He dislikes travelling by rail.
  3. He wants to avoid the city entirely.
  4. He would rather travel by train. Correct answer.

Explanation

The structure "would sooner ... than ..." expresses a preference between two options. The man prefers the train over driving into the city during the week.

Question 35Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "I wish I'd checked the opening times before we set off." What does she suggest?

  1. They should have checked before leaving. Correct answer.
  2. They forgot to bring the address.
  3. They arrived too early.
  4. The place was closed for repairs.

Explanation

"I wish I had checked" expresses regret about something that was not done in the past. She is saying that checking the opening times before departing would have been better.

Question 36Listening Comprehension

A manager says: "Provided the figures are in by Thursday, we can still hit the deadline." What is she saying?

  1. Thursday is the new deadline.
  2. The deadline has already been missed.
  3. The figures are no longer needed.
  4. Meeting the deadline depends on the figures. Correct answer.

Explanation

"Provided" introduces a condition, so hitting the deadline is conditional on receiving the figures by Thursday. The deadline itself has not changed or been missed.

Question 37Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The venue holds two hundred, but we've already had over three hundred replies." What is the problem?

  1. The replies arrived too late.
  2. The venue is too small for the guests. Correct answer.
  3. The venue has been double-booked.
  4. Too few people have replied.

Explanation

Comparing the venue's capacity of two hundred with more than three hundred replies shows that demand exceeds the space available. The issue is capacity, not timing or double booking.

Question 38Listening Comprehension

A man says: "It's not the price that bothers me so much as the delivery time." What concerns him most?

  1. The quality of the item
  2. The cost of the item
  3. How long delivery will take Correct answer.
  4. The length of the warranty

Explanation

The construction "not ... so much as ..." places emphasis on the second element. Here that element is the delivery time, so that is his main concern rather than the price.

Question 39Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "You'd think they'd have told us about the change by now." What is her tone?

  1. Excited
  2. Confused
  3. Mildly critical Correct answer.
  4. Grateful

Explanation

The pattern "you'd think they'd have ..." expresses mild reproach about what someone has failed to do. She is quietly criticising the lack of communication rather than expressing thanks or excitement.

Question 40Listening Comprehension

A guide says: "Should the weather turn, we'll move the walk to the following morning." What does she mean?

  1. The weather is always bad here.
  2. The walk is cancelled permanently.
  3. The walk starts in the morning.
  4. The walk will move if it rains. Correct answer.

Explanation

"Should the weather turn" is a formal conditional meaning "if the weather changes for the worse". She is explaining a contingency plan to reschedule the walk.

Question 41Listening Comprehension

A customer says: "I was told I'd get a refund within five working days, and it's been nearly two weeks." What is she doing?

  1. Asking for a discount
  2. Returning a faulty item
  3. Complaining about a delay Correct answer.
  4. Ordering a new product

Explanation

She contrasts the promised refund period with the time actually passed, which is a way of complaining that the refund is overdue. She is not ordering, requesting a discount or returning goods.

Question 42Listening Comprehension

A lecturer says: "Contrary to popular belief, the experiment was repeated several times before the results were accepted." What is she correcting?

  1. The cost of the equipment
  2. The date of the experiment
  3. The identity of the researchers
  4. A common misconception Correct answer.

Explanation

"Contrary to popular belief" signals that the speaker is challenging a widely held but incorrect assumption. The correction concerns how often the experiment was repeated, not dates, people or costs.

Question 43Listening Comprehension

A receptionist says: "I'm afraid the manager's diary is full until Monday, so I can offer you the tenth instead." What is she doing?

  1. Transferring the call
  2. Confirming an existing booking
  3. Refusing to help the caller
  4. Suggesting an alternative date Correct answer.

Explanation

Because the manager is unavailable until Monday, the receptionist proposes the tenth as another possible appointment. That is an offer of an alternative, not a refusal.

Question 44Listening Comprehension

A man says: "Had the shop not been closing, I'd have bought the whole set." What do we learn?

  1. The shop was open all night.
  2. He bought the whole set.
  3. He returned the set later.
  4. He did not buy the set. Correct answer.

Explanation

This is a past unreal conditional: the shop was closing, so the purchase did not happen. The structure describes an imagined alternative to what actually occurred.

Question 45Listening Comprehension

A trainer says: "Rather than simply memorising the steps, try to understand why each one matters." What is she advising?

  1. Practising the steps more quickly
  2. Writing the steps down
  3. Skipping the difficult steps
  4. Learning the reasons behind each step Correct answer.

Explanation

The "rather than" structure contrasts memorising with understanding, and she recommends the latter. Her advice is to grasp the purpose of each step instead of just learning it by rote.

Question 46Listening Comprehension

A radio announcer says: "We'd hoped to bring you live coverage, but a technical fault means we'll have to rely on updates instead." What has happened?

  1. The station changed its schedule.
  2. The announcer has left the studio.
  3. The event has been cancelled.
  4. Live coverage is not possible. Correct answer.

Explanation

The speaker explains that a technical fault prevents live broadcasting, so updates will replace it. The event itself is not said to be cancelled, and no schedule change is mentioned.

Question 47Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "Far from being disappointed, the team seemed relieved when the project was shelved." What does she mean?

  1. The team did not mind the project stopping. Correct answer.
  2. The team expected the project to succeed.
  3. The team had already finished the project.
  4. The team was upset about the decision.

Explanation

"Far from being disappointed" negates the expectation of disappointment, and "relieved" shows the team welcomed the decision. Shelving a project means pausing or abandoning it, which they did not oppose.

Question 48Listening Comprehension

A speaker says: "The proposal is sound in principle; whether it survives contact with the budget is another matter." What is the speaker's view?

  1. The budget has already been approved.
  2. The idea is good but may prove too costly. Correct answer.
  3. The proposal has been rejected outright.
  4. The idea is fundamentally flawed.

Explanation

"Sound in principle" approves the idea itself, while the second clause raises doubt about affordability. The idiom "another matter" signals a separate, unresolved concern about the budget.

Question 49Listening Comprehension

A man says: "If anything, the second report understates the scale of the problem." What does he believe?

  1. The second report exaggerates.
  2. The problem is even bigger than reported. Correct answer.
  3. The first report was inaccurate.
  4. The reports contradict each other.

Explanation

"If anything" introduces a correction in the opposite direction, and "understates" means to describe something as smaller than it is. He therefore thinks the problem is larger than the report suggests.

Question 50Listening Comprehension

A woman says: "Not that I don't value his input, but there's a time and a place for lengthy debates." What is she implying?

  1. This is not the right moment for a long discussion. Correct answer.
  2. She wants shorter meetings in general.
  3. She disagrees with everything he says.
  4. She thinks his contributions are worthless.

Explanation

The idiom "a time and a place" means something is appropriate only on certain occasions. The concessive opening "not that I don't value his input" softens the criticism, so she is objecting to the timing rather than to him.