CAE Listening Test 1
Part 2: “Researching public drinking fountains” with Nadia.
Parts 3–4: festival spaces, shared projects
Take CAE Listening Test 1
CAE · Listening
CAE Listening practice tests with audio and answers
CAE Listening is the C1 Advanced Listening paper: about 40 minutes, 30 questions in four parts, and you hear every recording twice. It tests attitude, opinion, gist and detail in three conversations, a talk, an interview and five monologues with two tasks, and it counts for 20% of your result.
- Free, no sign-up to start
- Layout modelled on the computer-based exam
- Estimated Cambridge English Scale score
Time≈ 40 min
Parts4
Questions30
Of your score20%
Paper format
CAE Listening, part by part
Each row links to a guide with the format, a worked example, strategy and common mistakes.
| Part | Task | Questions | What it tests | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple choice, three extracts | 1–6 | Feeling, attitude, opinion and agreement in three conversations, two questions each. | Not stated (we allow about 15 s) |
| 2 | Sentence completion | 7–14 | Specific information and stated opinion in a talk of about 3 minutes; you write the words you hear. | 45 seconds |
| 3 | Multiple choice, interview | 15–20 | Attitude and opinion, stated and implied, in an interview of about 4 minutes; four options per question. | 70 seconds |
| 4 | Multiple matching | 21–30 | Gist, attitude and purpose: five short monologues with two matching tasks to do at the same time. | 45 seconds |
Marking
How CAE Listening is marked
1 mark per question. In Part 2, correct spelling is expected (British or American). 18/30 is about 180 and 26/30 about 200 on Cambridge’s guidance. Scores are estimates.
Our marking also ignores a leading “a”, “an” or “the” in Part 2, but a misspelt word scores nothing. Wrong answers lose no marks, so answer every question. Listening is one of the five skill scores, worth 20% of your overall result.
Tips
Six CAE Listening tips
- Use the reading time. You get 45 seconds before Parts 2 and 4 and 70 seconds before Part 3: read every option of Part 3 and both Part 4 tasks.
- In Part 1, read both questions before each extract. There are two questions per conversation, and they often test opinion or agreement.
- In Part 2, write the words you hear, spelt correctly. Answers are usually three words or fewer, and a misspelt answer scores nothing.
- In Part 3, expect implied opinions. The four options are close; choose what the speaker means, not what they literally say.
- In Part 4, split the two tasks. You can do Task 1 on the first hearing and Task 2 on the second, or both at once.
- On the computer-based exam Part 4 uses drag and drop (since November 2025) and you get 2 minutes at the end to check.
Listening tests
All 6 CAE Listening tests
Each test is the Listening paper of the matching CAE mock test, and its page shows what is inside before you start.
CAE Listening Test 2
Part 2: “An exhibition on the move” with Clara.
Parts 3–4: unfamiliar routes, neighbours’ skills
Take CAE Listening Test 2CAE Listening Test 3
Part 2: “Caring for an old woven fabric” with Helena.
Parts 3–4: quiet hours, shared rooms
Take CAE Listening Test 3CAE Listening Test 4
Part 2: “Recording local footbridges” with Rowan.
Parts 3–4: inclusive board games, public-facing roles
Take CAE Listening Test 4CAE Listening Test 5
Part 2: “Mapping everyday access” with Mara.
Parts 3–4: audio description, old objects
Take CAE Listening Test 5CAE Listening Test 6
Part 2: “Testing the kitchen layout” with Ellis.
Parts 3–4: everyday instructions, creative collaboration
Take CAE Listening Test 6
FAQ
CAE Listening questions
How long is the CAE Listening test?
About 40 minutes, including 2 minutes to check your answers on the computer-based exam or 5 minutes to transfer them on paper.
Does spelling count in CAE Listening?
Yes. In Part 2 (sentence completion) correct spelling is expected; British and American spellings are both accepted. The other parts are multiple choice or matching.
How many times do you hear each recording in CAE Listening?
Twice. In Part 4 the five monologues are played in sequence, then the whole sequence is repeated.
What CAE Listening score do I need?
There is no pass mark for a single paper: your overall score is the average of five skills. As a guide, Cambridge puts 18/30 at about 180 and 26/30 at about 200 on its practice tests.
Sources
- C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment)
- Converting practice test scores to Cambridge English Scale scores (Cambridge University Press & Assessment)
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.
Free · no sign-up to start
Start with CAE Listening Test 1
6 free CAE Listening tests. No sign-up to start: you give an email address when you submit.