FCE Listening Part 4: interview, multiple choice
FCE Listening Part 4 is a three-to-four-minute interview or conversation between two speakers with seven multiple-choice questions. The questions follow the order of the recording, you have one minute to read them first, and you hear the whole recording twice.
- Questions
- 7 (Q24–30)
- Options
- A, B or C
- Recording
- 3–4 min, twice
- Reading time
- 1 minute
What FCE Listening Part 4 tests
Part 4 is an interview or a conversation between two speakers, lasting three to four minutes: often a radio presenter talking to a guest about their work, a hobby or an unusual experience. There are seven multiple-choice questions (24–30), each with three options, A, B and C, and the questions follow the order of the recording. You get one minute to read them before the recording starts, and you hear it twice.
Because the recording is long, this part tests your ability to follow a speaker's opinions and attitudes over several minutes, as well as gist, main ideas, detail and specific information. Questions often ask why someone did something, how they felt about it at the time, or what they think about it now.
How it is marked: one mark per question, 7 of the 30 Listening marks. Part 4 is the last part of the paper. On paper you then have 5 minutes to transfer all your answers to the answer sheet; in the digital exam you have 2 minutes to check them.
An FCE Listening Part 4 interview example
You will hear an interview with a woman called Jess Holloway, who records natural sounds for films. This is the opening of the interview and its first two questions.
24 Why did Jess first record sounds in the woods?
A Her tutor recommended it as a project.
B She wanted to do something different from her classmates.
C A farmer had asked her to record the wildlife.
25 What does Jess find most difficult about her work?
A working in cold conditions
B having to start very early
C finding places without man-made noise
What you hear
Interviewer: Jess, how did you get into recording wildlife sounds?
Jess: By accident, really. I was studying music technology and needed a project. My tutor suggested recording a piece of music, which is what everyone else was doing, but I'd grown up on a farm and I wanted to try something different, so I took a microphone into the woods at four in the morning. The recording was terrible – wind noise everywhere – but I was hooked.
Interviewer: And what's the hardest part of the job?
Jess: People assume it's the cold or the early starts, and they're not much fun, but you get used to them. What I find really tough is that there's almost nowhere left without human noise. You can wait three hours for a bird to sing and then a plane goes over. That happens far more often than it did when I started.
Show the answer and explanation
24 B. "Everyone else was doing" music; "I wanted to try something different". A is a trap: her tutor recommended something else. C uses farm from the recording, but she only says she grew up on one.
25 C. "What I find really tough is that there's almost nowhere left without human noise." A and B are both mentioned, but she says "you get used to them".
Notice the pattern: the interviewer's question tells you a new question is starting, and the guest mentions all three options before committing to one. Phrases such as "What I find really tough is…" mark the real answer.
How to answer FCE Listening Part 4 questions
- 01
Use the whole minute. Read every question stem and underline what it asks: why, how did she feel, what does she think now, most difficult.
- 02
Listen for the interviewer's questions. Each one usually signals that the next question on your paper is about to be answered.
- 03
Expect the guest to mention all three options. Listen for the one they actually commit to, often after actually, what I really… or the main thing.
- 04
Choose a provisional answer on the first listening and confirm it on the second, paying attention to the questions you were unsure about.
- 05
If you lose your place, do not go back. Listen for the next interviewer question and pick up from there; fill any gaps on the second listening.
Mistakes that cost marks in FCE Listening Part 4
Choosing the option mentioned first. The first idea in an answer is often the one the speaker goes on to reject, as with "the cold or the early starts".
Taking the interviewer's words as the guest's view. If the interviewer says "That must have been frightening", the guest may well disagree.
Losing your place. Candidates who miss one answer sometimes stay on that question and miss the next two as well.
Picking something true but not asked. Jess does find early starts hard, but the question asks what she finds most difficult.
Signals that tell you the answer is coming
In long recordings, speakers use phrases that mark their real opinion, a contrast or a change of mind. Learning to hear them is a reliable way to improve at FCE Listening Part 4.
- The real point: "What I really…", "The main thing is…", "What I find really tough is…", "The thing that matters most…"
- Correcting an assumption: "People assume… but", "You'd think… actually", "It's not so much X as Y"
- Change over time: "At first I… but now", "Looking back…", "These days I'd say…"
- Honesty and emphasis: "To be honest…", "I have to admit…", "If I'm really honest…"
- Disagreeing with the interviewer: "Not really…", "I wouldn't say that…", "That's what everyone thinks, but…"
Practise Part 4 in full FCE Listening tests
Each FCE Listening test on this site has its own Part 4, timed with the whole paper and marked as soon as you submit, with an explanation for every answer.
- Test 1: an interview with Theo, who makes sound effects for local theatre
- Test 2: an interview with Arlo, who designs board games
- Test 3: an interview with Imani, who leads night-time nature walks
- Test 4: an interview with Laila, who makes museum displays that visitors can explore by touch
- Test 5: an interview with Ben, who tests playground equipment
- Test 6: an interview with Daniel, who organises stargazing evenings
FCE Listening Part 4 questions
How long is the recording in FCE Listening Part 4?
Three to four minutes. You get one minute to read the seven questions first, and you hear the recording twice.
Is FCE Listening Part 4 always an interview?
Usually it is an interview, often on the radio, but it can also be a conversation between two people. There are always two speakers.
How many marks is B2 Listening Part 4 worth?
Seven: one mark for each question. Together with Parts 1 to 3, that makes 30 marks for Listening.
How can I practise FCE Listening Part 4 at home?
Listen to radio or podcast interviews on everyday topics. Before each answer, pause and predict what the guest will say, then notice when they mention an idea only to reject it.
Sources
- B2 First Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 50–51, 55
- 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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