FCE Listening Part 2: sentence completion
FCE Listening Part 2 is a sentence completion task: one speaker talks for three to four minutes and you complete ten sentences with words you hear. Each answer is a word, number or short phrase of no more than three words, and minor spelling slips are not penalised if the meaning is clear.
- Questions
- 10 (Q9–18)
- Answers
- 1–3 words
- Marks
- 1 each
- Reading time
- 45 seconds
What FCE Listening Part 2 tests
In Part 2 you hear one speaker talking for three to four minutes: a talk, a radio broadcast or a presentation to a class, for example. On the page there are ten sentences (questions 9–18) that summarise what the speaker says, each with a gap. You complete each gap with a word, a number or a short phrase. The sentences follow the order of the recording, and you get 45 seconds to read them before it starts.
The answer is always something you hear: the word or phrase is said on the recording and does not need to be changed in any way, and it is never more than three words. The sentences on the page, however, paraphrase the speaker, so you need to recognise the idea even when the surrounding words are different.
This part tests listening for detail, specific information and stated opinion. How it is marked: one mark per gap, 10 of the 30 Listening marks. Minor spelling mistakes are not penalised as long as the meaning is clear, and you will not be asked to spell words above B2 level, but an answer that cannot be recognised as the right word does not score. On the paper answer sheet you write in capital letters, one letter or number per box.
A B2 Listening Part 2 sentence completion example
You will hear a woman called Rosa Marquez talking about her time as a volunteer on a sea turtle project. Complete the sentences with a word or short phrase. This is part of the talk; in the exam there are ten sentences.
9 The first skill Rosa learned was recognising (9) on the beach.
10 Rosa says the most important shift began at (10).
11 Only the (11) could decide whether to move a nest.
12 Rosa was amazed that the (12) of the sand affects the baby turtles.
What you hear
"Before I went, I imagined I'd spend most of my time handling turtles, but the first skill we were taught was actually how to recognise tracks in the sand. Every morning we'd walk the whole beach at sunrise looking for them. People assume the important work happens at night, and we did do some night patrols, but it was the early shift that really mattered. When we found a nest, we only moved the eggs if the tide was likely to reach them, and only the project leader could make that decision – not even the scientists who visited from the university. What amazed me most was learning that the temperature of the sand decides whether the baby turtles are male or female. Warmer nests produce more females, which is one reason the project is so worried about rising temperatures."
Show the answer and explanation
9 tracks. "Handling turtles" is what she imagined, not what she learned. The sentence says "recognising"; the speaker says "recognise", so the gap is the noun that follows.
10 sunrise. "Night" is what people assume. "The most important shift" paraphrases "the early shift that really mattered". Write the word you hear, sunrise, rather than a word you think means the same.
11 project leader. A two-word answer. "Scientists" is the trap: the speaker mentions them only to exclude them.
12 temperature. A word candidates often misspell. Minor slips are not penalised if the meaning is clear, but it is safer to know the spelling than to rely on that.
How to do FCE Listening sentence completion
- 01
In the 45 seconds, read all ten sentences and predict what kind of answer each gap needs: a number, a place, a job, a plural noun, an adjective.
- 02
Notice the words just before and after each gap. The speaker will express the same idea, often in different words, immediately before the answer.
- 03
Write the exact word or words you hear. Do not change their form or replace them with a synonym: the answer never needs changing.
- 04
Expect distractors. Speakers often mention a wrong possibility first ("People assume… but", "I thought it would be… actually").
- 05
If you miss a gap, leave it and follow the next sentence; you can fill it in during the second listening.
- 06
On the second listening, check that every answer fits the sentence grammatically (singular or plural) and is spelled clearly.
Mistakes in FCE Listening Part 2
Writing too much. Answers are never longer than three words. Repeating words already printed in the sentence makes the answer longer, not more correct.
Taking the first thing mentioned. In the example, handling turtles, night and scientists all come up first and are all wrong.
Changing the speaker's word. Turning tracks into footprints or recognise into recognition risks the mark. Copy what you hear.
Leaving gaps blank after the first listening. Candidates sometimes freeze after a missed answer. Keep up with the sentences and use the second listening to fill gaps.
Words worth learning to spell for sentence completion
Answers are usually concrete nouns from everyday topics: jobs, places, equipment, food, nature, travel. These B2-level words come up often in listening tasks of this kind and are easy to get wrong under time pressure:
- Places and buildings: library, restaurant, museum, theatre, warehouse, laboratory
- Work and study: colleague, business, government, research, experience, equipment (no -s)
- Nature and environment: temperature, environment, weather, island, mountains, vegetables
- Time: Wednesday, February, sunrise, fortnight, autumn
- Feelings and qualities: necessary, separate, independent, successful, comfortable
Numbers: you can write numbers as figures (15, 1,500, 3.30), which is faster and avoids spelling problems. Listen carefully for fifteen and fifty, and for prices or dates that are corrected ("not the 13th, sorry, the 30th").
Practise Part 2 in full FCE Listening tests
Each FCE Listening test on this site has its own Part 2, timed with the whole paper and marked as soon as you submit, with an explanation for every answer.
FCE Listening Part 2 questions
How many words should I write in FCE Listening Part 2?
A word, a number or a short phrase. The answer is never more than three words, and it is exactly what you hear on the recording.
Does spelling count in FCE Listening Part 2?
Minor spelling mistakes are not penalised as long as the meaning is clear, and you are never asked to spell words above B2 level. An answer that cannot be recognised as the right word will not score, so spell carefully.
How long do I have to read the questions in B2 Listening Part 2?
45 seconds before the recording starts. Use it to read all ten sentences and predict the kind of word each gap needs.
Is FCE Listening Part 2 one speaker or a conversation?
One main speaker, giving a talk, a broadcast or a presentation. You hear the whole recording twice.
Sources
- B2 First Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 50–53
- B2 First exam format (cambridgeenglish.org)
- B2 First preparation materials: Cambridge's own sample tests
CambridgeMock is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Facts on this page are checked against the official documents above; the practice items and advice are our own.
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