Section 1 is a conversation between two people set in an everyday context (e.g. a conversation in an accommodation agency).
Section 2 is a monologue set in an everyday social context (e.g. a speech about local families).
Section 3 is a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context (e.g. a university tutor and student discussing an assignment).
Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject (e.g. a university lecture).
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 30-40 seconds to prepare, depending on the length of the passage. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are only able to record your response once.
The audio begins to plays automatically. When the audio finishes, the microphone opens and the recording status box shows “Recording”. Speak into the microphone immediately (there is no short tone) and repeat exactly what you heard.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are not able to replay the audio. You are only able to record your response once.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 25 seconds to study the image and prepare your response. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are only able to record your response once.
The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image related to the audio. After the audio finishes, you have 10 seconds to prepare.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are only able to record your response once.
The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image.
When the audio finishes, the microphone opens and the recording status box shows “Recording”. Speak into the microphone immediately (there is no short tone) and answer the question with one or a few words.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are not able to replay the audio. You are only able to record your response once.
if you cannot hear the audio clearly, let a member of staff know straightaway. follow the instructions carefully; they may be different to practice or previous tests. listen for the specific information you want. try and anticipate what the speaker will say; this will require concentration. do not worry if there is a word you do not understand; you may not need to use it.
if you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move quickly onto the next one. be careful with your spelling and grammar. do not panic if you think the topic is too difficult or the speaker is too fast; relax and tune in. read, write and listen at the same time. focus precisely on what you are asked to do in completion type questions
pay attention to the word limit; for example, if you are asked to complete a sentence using no more than two words, if the correct answer is ‘leather coat’, the answer ‘coat made of leather’ would be incorrect
if the question asks you to complete the note ‘in the…’ and the correct answer is ‘morning’, note that ‘in the morning’ would be incorrect; the correct answer is 'morning'
attempt all questions; there are no penalties for incorrect answers. check your answers
