Format
The listening test takes approximately 30 minutes and is the same for both Academic and General Training. You are given 10 minutes at the end to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet.
There are normally 40 questions divided into 4 separate sections. You hear each one only once.
| Section one | A conversation between two 2 on a general or social theme |
| Section two | A monologue or a conversation between 2 people on a general or social theme |
| Section three | A conversation between 3 or 4 speakers on an educational or training theme |
| Section four | A talk or a lecture on an academic theme |
As the exam progresses each section becomes harder and the listening texts longer.
Golden Rules
- Focus on the exact wording of the question: learn to listen precisely not generally
- Practise your spelling: if you fail to spell the answer correctly, you lose the mark
- Read the instructions carefully: particularly note the maximum words for each answer
- Use the time between listenings in the exam to try and predict the form of the answer
- Do not panic if you miss one answer: make sure you are ready for the next question
- You need to read, write and listen at the same time: so practise your note taking skills