What the exam asks
- One speaker, one academic subject: a lecturer, researcher or student presenter talking about science, history, technology, psychology, business, the environment or the arts. No specialist knowledge is needed.
- Questions 31–40, answered in the order you hear them. There is one preview before the recording starts and no halfway pause, unlike Parts 1–3.
- On computer, you type answers as you listen, with 2 minutes at the end of the whole Listening test to check them. Spelling and word limits count.
| Task | What you see | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Note completion | Notes under 3–5 headings with ten gaps | By far the most common Part 4 task, most often ONE WORD ONLY |
| Sentence or summary completion | Complete sentences with one gap each | The grammar of the sentence limits what the answer can be |
| Table or flow-chart completion | Categories in columns, or stages joined by arrows | Follow the rows or arrows in order |
| Multiple choice (A–C) | Stems about findings, purposes or opinions | Sometimes Questions 31–34, followed by notes for 35–40 |
Core ideas
1. The notes are the lecture’s skeleton
Each heading matches a section of the lecture, and the lecturer announces each section aloud, so every heading is a checkpoint. If you hear ‘Right, let’s turn to modern uses’ while you are still waiting for an answer under Early problems, that answer has gone. Guess it and move to the new heading.
2. Signposting language
| Function | What you’ll hear |
|---|---|
| Outline | Today I want to look at... / I’ll start with..., then... |
| New section |