CAE Listening Part 4: multiple matching
CAE Listening Part 4 is multiple matching: five people speak in turn on the same theme, and you complete two matching tasks at the same time. It carries 10 of the 30 Listening marks.
- Questions
- 10 (21–30)
- Speakers
- 5
- Tasks
- 2 × 8 options
- Marks
- 1 each
What CAE Listening Part 4 tests
Part 4 consists of five short monologues of about 30 seconds each, all on one theme: five people talking about a career change, a memorable trip or why they moved house. The speech is informal and spontaneous, closer to everyday talk than the presentations in Part 2. You have 45 seconds to read the questions before it starts.
There are two tasks. Task One (questions 21–25) asks one thing about each speaker, for example why they made a change; Task Two (questions 26–30) asks something different, for example how they feel about it now. Each task has eight options, A–H, so three options in each task are not used. You complete both tasks while you listen, in whichever order you prefer. The whole sequence of five speakers is played once and then played again.
The focus is gist, attitude, opinion, main points, speaker purpose and feeling, as well as interpreting context: who the speaker is and what situation they are in. Each answer earns one mark, so the part is worth 10 marks, a third of your Listening score. In the digital exam, since 1 November 2025, you answer by dragging and dropping the options; in the paper-based exam you write letters and transfer them to the answer sheet at the end.
Try a CAE Listening Part 4 practice set
Read what two of the five speakers say about taking up a new sport as an adult, then complete both tasks. In the exam each task has eight options (A–H); this shortened version has five.
Speaker 1 "I'd always assumed climbing was for teenagers with no fear of heights, so it had never crossed my mind. Then my company moved offices, and the new building happened to be next door to an indoor climbing wall. I'd see people going in at lunchtime, and eventually curiosity got the better of me. I won't pretend I'm any good, I still can't get past the beginners' routes, but I've noticed I deal with pressure at work far more calmly. When you're halfway up a wall, a difficult email doesn't seem that important."
Speaker 2 "My doctor had been on at me about my blood pressure for years, but that's not what got me rowing, if I'm honest. My daughter joined a club at university and kept sending me videos, and I suppose I didn't want to be left out. The fitness has come, of course, but what I value most is the people. I moved here three years ago and barely knew anyone; now there are eight of us who go for breakfast after every Saturday session."
Task One · For questions 21–22, choose what made each speaker take up the sport.
A advice from a medical professional
B the location of a facility
C a wish to share an interest with a family member
D a desire to overcome a fear
E a challenge from a friend
Task Two · For questions 26–27, choose what each speaker sees as the main benefit.
A a new social circle
B a higher level of fitness
C a better way of handling stress
D a sense of achievement
E new career opportunities
Speaker 1: 21 (21) 26 (26)
Speaker 2: 22 (22) 27 (27)
Show the answer and explanation
21 B. The climbing wall was next door to his new office. D is a trap: he mentions fear of heights only to say he had never considered climbing.
22 C. My daughter … kept sending me videos, and I suppose I didn't want to be left out. A is the distractor: the doctor's advice is mentioned and then dismissed (that's not what got me rowing).
26 C. I deal with pressure at work far more calmly. D is ruled out because he says he is still a beginner and won't pretend to be good.
27 A. The fitness has come, of course, but what I value most is the people. B is true but not the main benefit, which is exactly the distinction the task tests.
Notice the numbering: Speaker 1 answers questions 21 and 26, Speaker 2 answers 22 and 27, and so on to Speaker 5 (25 and 30).
How to do CAE Listening Part 4, step by step
- 01
In the 45 seconds, read both lists of options and notice what each task asks: a reason, a feeling, a lesson learned. Reduce each option to one or two key words.
- 02
Choose your method before the recording starts. A simple approach is Task One on the first listening and Task Two on the second, with a quick note of anything you hear for the other task.
- 03
Listen for the gist of each speaker. Most speakers mention two or three options and dismiss all but one, so wait until the speaker has finished before you decide.
- 04
Use the second listening to answer the other task and to check the first. Your notes from the first listening will tell you where to focus.
- 05
In each task, five options are used and three are not. Once you are confident of an answer, cross out that letter in that task only; the same letter may be correct in the other task.
- 06
Never leave a blank. If you are unsure about the last speaker, choose from the letters you have not yet used in that task.
Mistakes that cost marks
Matching on a single word. Speaker 2 talks about her doctor, but that is not why she started. The speaker who mentions a word is often not the one who matches the option.
Trying to answer both tasks for every speaker on the first listening and missing the start of the next speaker. If you do try both, keep the second task to brief notes.
Using a letter twice in the same task. If you use one option for two speakers, at least one answer is wrong, and the mistake usually leaves a later speaker with no option that fits.
Confusing the two tasks. Writing the reason in the benefit column is easy to do under pressure. Label your notes clearly and check the question numbers.
A note-taking method for two tasks
On your notepaper, draw a grid with five rows (Speakers 1–5) and two columns (Task One, Task Two). On the first listening, write two or three words for each speaker in the column you are focusing on: "office next door", "daughter, videos". Add anything that obviously belongs to the other task. On the second listening, fill the other column and match your notes to the options.
| Speaker | Task One: why started | Task Two: main benefit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | wall next to office (not fear) | calmer at work |
| 2 | daughter's club (not doctor) | friends > fitness |
| 3–5 | … | … |
Writing down what each speaker rejects, as in "not fear", is useful: those rejected ideas are the distractors, and noting them stops you choosing them later.
Practise Part 4 in full CAE Listening tests
Each CAE 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: five people talking about taking responsibility for a shared project
- Test 2: five people talking about learning a practical skill from a neighbour
- Test 3: five people talking about redesigning a room that several people share
- Test 4: five people talking about taking on an unfamiliar role dealing with the public
- Test 5: five people talking about deciding to preserve an old object
- Test 6: five people talking about joining a collaborative creative activity
CAE Listening multiple matching: questions
How does CAE Listening Part 4 work?
You hear five short monologues on the same theme and complete two matching tasks, each with eight options (A to H). Task One is questions 21 to 25 and Task Two is questions 26 to 30, one answer per speaker in each task.
Do I have to do both tasks at the same time in CAE Listening Part 4?
You complete both tasks during the two listenings, in any order. A common approach is to focus on Task One the first time and Task Two the second time.
Is CAE Listening Part 4 drag and drop on the computer?
Yes. Since 1 November 2025, the digital C1 Advanced exam uses a drag-and-drop format for Part 4. The task itself is the same as on paper.
How is C1 Listening multiple matching different from B2?
In B2 First the multiple matching task is Part 3: five speakers and one task with five questions. In C1 Advanced there are two tasks for the same five speakers, so ten questions in total.
Sources
- C1 Advanced Handbook for Teachers (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), pages 54–55, 59
- C1 Advanced exam format (cambridgeenglish.org)
- Change to the format for Cambridge English Digital Listening tests (Cambridge English Helpdesk): drag-and-drop matching in the computer-based exam
- Developing listening skills for C1 Advanced: a guide for teachers
- C1 Advanced 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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