What’s in the Listening paper?
The Cambridge English: First Listening paper has four parts. For each part you have to listen to a recorded text or texts and answer some questions. You hear each recording twice.

Summary
Time allowed: about 40 minutes

Number of parts: 4

Number of questions: 30

Marks: 20% of total

Parts 1-4

Part 1 (Multiple choice)

What’s in Part 1?
Eight short extracts from monologues or conversations between interacting speakers. There is one multiple-choice question for each extract, and you have to choose A, B or C.

What do I have to practise?

Listening for feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose, function, agreement, gist and detail.

How many questions are there?

8

How many marks are there?

One mark for each correct answer.

Part 2 (Sentence completion)

What’s in Part 2?
A monologue (which may be introduced by a presenter) lasting approximately 3 minutes. You have to complete the sentences on the question paper with the missing information which you hear on the recording.

What do I have to practise?

Listening for detail, specific information, stated opinion.

How many questions are there?

10

How many marks are there?

One mark for each correct answer.

Part 3 (Multiple matching)

What’s in Part 3?
A series of five themed monologues of approximately 30 seconds each. On the question paper, you have to select five correct options from a list of eight possible answers.

What do I have to practise?

Listening for gist, attitude, opinion, purpose, feeling, am points and detail.

How many questions are there?

5

How many marks are there?

One mark for each correct answer.

Part 4 (Multiple choice)

What’s in Part 4?
A conversation between two or more speakers of approximately 3-4 minutes. You have to answer some multiple-choice questions by choosing the correct answer from three options (A, B or C).

What do I have to practise?

Listening for opinion, attitude, gist, main idea, specific information.

How many questions are there?

7

How many marks are there?

One mark for each correct answer.