CAE Listening Test 3: fabric conservation, quiet hours and shared rooms
CAE Listening Test 3 is a free C1 Advanced Listening practice test: 30 questions in four parts and 40 min 22 s of audio, with every recording played twice. You hear discussions of survey results, navigation lessons and poetry participation, a conservation talk, a quiet-hours interview and accounts of shared-room redesigns.
- Free, no sign-up to start
- Layout modelled on the computer-based exam
- Estimated Cambridge English Scale score
What is in CAE Listening Test 3
| Part | Task | Questions | What you hear | Audio, both plays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multiple choice, three extracts | 1–6 | Three conversations, 6 voices | 9:45 |
| 2 | Sentence completion | 7–14 | “Caring for an old woven fabric”: A specialist called Helena talking about conserving an old woven wall hanging. | 7:05 |
| 3 | Multiple choice, interview | 15–20 | An interview with Nina Webb and Hugo Flynn, who organise quiet hours in public venues. | 13:26 |
| 4 | Multiple matching | 21–30 | Five short extracts in which people talk about redesigning a room that several people share. Task 1: the main reason for changing the room. Task 2: a consequence the speaker describes. | 9:51 |
| Total | 10 synthetic voices: 7 British, 2 New Zealand and 1 South African | 40:22 | ||
Part 1: the conversations and questions
- You hear two researchers discussing how to present the results of a survey.1. Why does the woman object to the summary chart? 2. What does the man accept by the end of the discussion?
- You hear two friends discussing a practical navigation course.3. What does the man come to appreciate about the instructor’s approach? 4. What would the woman prefer before taking another course?
- You hear two organisers discussing audience participation at a poetry event.5. What concern does the man express about the open invitation? 6. What do the organisers decide about participation?
Part 2: the sentences you complete
- Information about the hanging’s earlier use came from the owner’s (7).
- Using a (8), the team found that one dark area contained differently coloured threads.
- A protective (9) prevented direct contact between equipment and the weak fabric.
- Thread used in an earlier repair was (10) in colour.
- The chosen backing material was made of (11).
- The new support was attached using very small (12).
- The team checked (13) in the room where the hanging would be shown.
- A series of (14) will help identify later changes to the hanging.
Marking and review notes
CAE Listening marking
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.
From our review
Our reviewer found Part 2 closer to B2 than C1, with few distractors, and noted that some Part 4 voices also speak in Parts 1 and 3.
More CAE Listening tests
CAE Listening practice tests · CAE Mock Test 3 · Updated 15 November 2026
Ready for CAE Listening Test 3?
About 40 minutes. Free, no sign-up to start: you give an email address when you submit, and your marks open straight away.