Listening
Shape of the paper
Listening runs about 40 minutes across four parts and 30 questions, with each recording heard twice. Part 1: three short unrelated extracts, two three-option questions each, testing function, attitude and agreement. Part 2: a monologue with eight gaps; you write a word or short phrase, generally no more than two or three words, spelled as heard. Part 3: a conversation with six multiple-choice questions on opinion and detail. Part 4: five short monologues matched to options from two different tasks, such as speaker-to-topic and speaker-to-reason.
What is really tested
Paraphrase. The correct option almost never repeats the recording's wording, while the distractor usually does. In Part 1, listen for the second speaker's correction or concession - the first idea floated is often the decoy. In Part 3, expect each answer to arrive after a detour in which one speaker tentatively suggests the wrong thing.
Traps
- Writing the word you heard rather than the form the gap needs (singular or plural, tense).
- Exceeding the word limit in Part 2 - anything beyond the stated number is marked wrong.
- Losing your place in Part 4; write the option letter beside each speaker as you listen.
- Spelling slips (government, colleague, accommodation) that cost marks even when you heard correctly.
Rule of thumb
Use the pause before each part to underline the stem and brainstorm synonyms. If the stem says expensive, expect costly, pricey or beyond our budget rather than the same word.