What the exam asks
- Format: one recording, Questions 21–30, heard once. There is preview time before the recording and a short pause partway through to read the second block. The questions follow the order of the conversation.
- Speakers: usually two students (sometimes one) with a tutor, supervisor or lecturer, and up to four voices in total. Accents vary.
- Topics: planning or reviewing a project, a presentation, fieldwork, a placement, a reading list or a survey.
| Task type | What it looks like | What it really tests |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice (A–C) | A stem such as ‘What does the tutor think about...?’ with three options | Attitudes, reasons, evaluations and who says what |
| Choose TWO (A–E) | ‘Which TWO things do they agree...?’ (two marks, in either order) | Separating agreed decisions from ideas that are mentioned and rejected |
| Matching (A–F/G) | A box of opinions or comments matched to a list of items; letters may be used more than once or not at all | Paraphrase recognition while speakers compare several items |
| Flow-chart completion | The stages of a procedure, often with a word box | Following a sequence and choosing the final decision at each stage |
| Sentence, note or table completion | Gaps completed with words from the recording | Precise detail and spelling inside a fast exchange |
Core ideas
1. Map the speakers before you listen
Every stem names a person or group: What does Ella think..., What does the tutor say..., What do the students agree.... Underline it. As you listen, check each option against that person’s reaction only. The recording will usually give the other options to the other speakers, because that is how Part 3 distractors are built.