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CAE Listening · Part 1

CAE Listening Part 1: short extracts, multiple choice

CAE Listening Part 1 gives you three short conversations, each with two multiple-choice questions. The questions are less about facts than about what the speakers feel, mean and agree on.

Take CAE Listening Test 1See an example
Questions
6 (1–6)
Recordings
3 conversations
Options
A–C
Marks
1 each

Updated · Checked against the C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers · Sources

What it tests

What CAE Listening Part 1 tests

The C1 Listening paper lasts about 40 minutes and has four parts and 30 questions, each worth one mark. Part 1 contains three unrelated extracts, each a conversation between two speakers lasting about a minute: two friends discussing a film, colleagues reviewing a project, a presenter interviewing a guest. Each extract has two questions with three options, A–C, so there are six questions in total (1–6).

Before each extract you hear a short context line, such as "You hear two colleagues talking about a training course", and you have a little time to read the two questions. Each extract is played twice before the next one begins. In the paper-based exam you write your answers on the question paper and copy them onto an answer sheet at the end (there are 5 minutes for this); in the digital exam you click your answers as you go and have 2 minutes at the end of the paper to check them.

Cambridge's list of what Part 1 tests is long: feeling, attitude, opinion, purpose, function, agreement, course of action, gist and detail. In practice, most questions ask what a speaker thinks or feels, why they say something, or what both speakers agree on. All three options are usually mentioned or hinted at in the conversation, so the skill is deciding which one the speaker actually means.

Example

Try a CAE Listening Part 1 extract

Read the transcript as if you were listening, then answer the two questions. In the exam you hear the extract twice and never see the words.

You hear two colleagues talking about a training course they attended.

Woman: So what did you make of yesterday's session? You were scribbling away the whole time.
Man: Mostly doodling, if I'm honest. Don't get me wrong, the trainer clearly knew her stuff. But we spent the entire morning on things most of us have been doing for years.
Woman: I suppose they have to pitch it at the newest people in the room.
Man: Then they should split the group. Anyway, the afternoon was better. That role-play on handling complaints was actually useful.
Woman: Really? I found it a bit artificial. Nobody talks like that when they're genuinely angry.
Man: Maybe not, but it made me realise I tend to jump in before people have finished explaining. That's something I can work on.
Woman: Well, if that's what you got out of it, it wasn't a wasted day.

1 What is the man's main criticism of the morning session?
A The trainer lacked experience.
B The content was too basic for him.
C There was too little time for questions.

2 What does the man say he gained from the role-play?
A awareness of a weakness in his own behaviour
B confidence in dealing with angry customers
C a technique for calming people down

Show the answer and explanation

1 B. We spent the entire morning on things most of us have been doing for years means the content was too basic. A is a trap: he says the opposite (the trainer clearly knew her stuff), and Don't get me wrong signals that the real criticism is still to come. C is never mentioned.

2 A. It made me realise I tend to jump in before people have finished explaining: he noticed a habit of his own. B and C are things you might expect from complaints training, and the woman's comment about angry people makes B sound plausible, but he claims neither.

Strategy

How to answer C1 Listening Part 1 questions

  1. 01

    Use the pause before each extract to read the context line and both questions. Underline the focus word in each question: criticism, agree, purpose, feel. It tells you what kind of statement to listen for.

  2. 02

    Check whose view the question is about. "What does the man say …" means the woman's opinions are irrelevant to that question, however clearly she states them.

  3. 03

    On the first listening, follow the overall attitude and choose a provisional answer. Expect the two questions in order: the first is usually answered in the first half of the conversation.

  4. 04

    On the second listening, check the exact words around your answer. Phrases like don't get me wrong, actually, I suppose and maybe not, but often change what a speaker really means.

  5. 05

    For "agree" questions, both speakers must express the view. If only one says it, or the other contradicts it, it is not the answer.

  6. 06

    When the next extract starts, let the previous one go. Choose your best answer and give the new conversation your full attention.

Common mistakes

Mistakes that cost marks

Choosing the option you heard words from. "Trainer" and "experience" are in the conversation, but the man praises her expertise. Matching words is exactly what the distractors are designed to reward.

Mixing up the speakers. The woman finds the role-play artificial; the man finds it useful. Answering with the wrong person's view is a frequent Part 1 error.

Ignoring what follows a concession. Don't get me wrong, she knew her stuff. But …: the important opinion comes after but.

Treating "agree" as "one speaker says". Agreement questions need both voices. Listen for exactly, I know what you mean and that's true, and for disagreements disguised as politeness.

Question focus

What C1 Listening Part 1 questions ask about

  • Purpose: Why does the woman mention her previous job? Listen for the point the detail supports.
  • Function: What is the man doing when he says …? Possible answers: complaining, apologising, persuading, warning, justifying.
  • Feeling and attitude: How does she feel about the decision? Tone of voice matters as much as words.
  • Opinion: What is his view of the new system? Expect a balanced answer that leans one way.
  • Agreement: What do they agree about? Both speakers must share the view.
  • Course of action: What does the man decide to do? Plans often change during the conversation; the final decision counts.
  • Gist and detail: What are they mainly discussing? or a specific fact that the conversation turns on.
Practise

Practise Part 1 in full CAE Listening tests

Each CAE Listening test on this site has its own Part 1, timed with the whole paper and marked as soon as you submit, with an explanation for every answer.

Take CAE Listening Test 1All CAE Listening tests
FAQ

CAE Listening Part 1: questions

How many extracts are there in CAE Listening Part 1?

Three. Each is a conversation between two speakers lasting about a minute, with two multiple-choice questions, so Part 1 has six questions in total.

Do you hear CAE Listening Part 1 twice?

Yes. Each extract is played twice before the next one starts, as is every recording in the C1 Listening paper.

How is C1 Listening Part 1 different from B2?

B2 First Part 1 has eight short extracts with one question each. C1 Advanced has three longer conversations with two questions each, and the questions focus more on attitude, purpose and agreement.

How many marks do I need in CAE Listening?

Cambridge's guidance for its official practice tests puts a C1 result (180 on the Cambridge English Scale) at about 18 out of 30, and 200 at about 26. Live exams vary slightly, so treat these as targets, not guarantees.

Sources

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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