Listening
B1 Preliminary for Schools Listening is Paper 3: about 30 minutes, four parts and 25 questions. Each recording is played twice. The paper tests understanding of short exchanges, longer conversations and monologues in everyday situations: school, travel, hobbies, shopping, plans and feelings. You hear natural B1 speech, so the answer is often expressed in different words from the question.
What each part asks
- Part 1: seven short recordings, each with a three-picture multiple-choice question.
- Part 2: six short dialogues with three-option multiple-choice questions.
- Part 3: six gaps in notes about a longer recording; write one or two words, a number, date or time.
- Part 4: six three-option questions on a longer dialogue or interview.
Core rules
Before each recording, read the question and the options so you know what to listen for. In Part 1, the pictures usually show similar objects or actions; the speaker often mentions two before correcting or rejecting one. In Part 2, listen for the reason, opinion or decision, not just the topic. In Part 3, the notes show the order of the recording, so follow the gaps from top to bottom. Write only the missing information, not a full sentence, and check spelling and numbers. In Part 4, track the speaker's attitude: 'I suppose so' can be weaker than 'I'm sure'.
Worked example
Part 3 note: 'Meet at ___ p.m.' The recording says: 'Let's meet at quarter past seven, not seven as we said.' The answer is '7.15' or '7:15'. The reasoning: 'not seven' rejects the first time, and 'quarter past seven' gives the corrected time. Writing 'seven' would show that you heard a number but missed the repair. The gap asks for a time, so a number is enough; no extra words are needed.
Traps
Do not choose an option just because you hear its word; the speaker may mention it and then reject it. In Part 3, answers over the word limit are marked wrong, and unnecessary articles can spoil a correct noun. Watch for distractors with times, prices and dates: speakers often correct themselves. In Part 4, do not stop listening after the first speaker; the second speaker may give the answer. If you miss a question, leave it and re-read the next one before the recording starts again.