Cambridge 1 Listening Test 1: answers and online practice
The whole test on one page: all 41 answers with a self-marker that turns your score into a band, and the 4 parts with their explanations. Haven't sat it yet? Take it online first, then come back and mark it.
4 parts · 41 questions · about 30 minutes, the recording played once
The 4 parts in this test
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the test yet.
| Q | Your answer | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Question 1 · Multiple choice (pictures A-D) | ||
| 1 | A | |
| Question 2 · Multiple choice (pictures A-D) | ||
| 2 | C | |
| Question 3 · Multiple choice | ||
| 3 | D | |
| Question 4 · Multiple choice (pictures A-D) | ||
| 4 | D | |
| Question 5 · Multiple choice (pictures A-D) | ||
| 5 | C | |
| Questions 6-10 · Form completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 6 | Prescott | |
| 7 | 41 | |
| 8 | Fountain | |
| 9 | 752239Also accepted: 75 22 39 / 7522 39 / 75 2239 | |
| 10 | 65Also accepted: £65 | |
| Questions 11-13 · Multiple choice (choose THREE) | ||
| 11 | E and F and H(in either order) | |
| 12 | ||
| 13 | ||
| Questions 14-21 · Note completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 14 | 250 millionAlso accepted: $250 million / 250,000,000 | |
| 15 | roadsAlso accepted: road system / road | |
| 16 | too late | |
| 17 | school childrenAlso accepted: schoolchildren / boys / school boys / schoolboys | |
| 18 | 3Also accepted: three | |
| 19 | boatsAlso accepted: pleasure craft / boats and pleasure craft | |
| 20 | pilot | |
| 21 | musical instrumentsAlso accepted: instruments | |
| Questions 22-25 · Multiple choice | ||
| 22 | A | |
| 23 | B | |
| 24 | C | |
| 25 | A | |
| Questions 26-31 · Note completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 26 | talkAlso accepted: give a talk / give a small talk | |
| 27 | write up workAlso accepted: write up the work / write it up / write up their work | |
| 28 | can chooseAlso accepted: can choose topic / can choose the topic / students can choose | |
| 29 | open bookAlso accepted: open-book / open book exam | |
| 30 | closed reserve | |
| 31 | vocationalAlso accepted: vocational subjects / preparing for work / work / employment / vocational focus | |
| Questions 32-33 · Multiple choice | ||
| 32 | B | |
| 33 | C | |
| Questions 34-36 · Note completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 34 | history and economicsAlso accepted: economics and history | |
| 35 | deadlinesAlso accepted: meeting deadlines / essay deadlines / deadlines for essays | |
| 36 | attendance | |
| Questions 37-41 · Multiple choice | ||
| 37 | B | |
| 38 | C | |
| 39 | B | |
| 40 | D | |
| 41 | A | |
Your score out of 40 as an IELTS Listening band
| Correct answers | Band |
|---|---|
| 39-40 | 9.0 |
| 37-38 | 8.5 |
| 35-36 | 8.0 |
| 32-34 | 7.5 |
| 30-31 | 7.0 |
| 26-29 | 6.5 |
| 23-25 | 6.0 |
| 18-22 | 5.5 |
| 16-17 | 5.0 |
| 13-15 | 4.5 |
| 10-12 | 4.0 |
Listening scale (same for Academic and General Training). Cut-offs shift slightly between tests, so read it as an estimate.
Questions people ask about this test
- Can I take Cambridge 1 Listening Test 1 online?
- Yes. Langujet has the full Cambridge IELTS 1 Test 1 listening paper with the original recording: all four parts, played once, timed like the real exam and marked the moment you finish.
- What band is 30 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
- About Band 7.0. On the Listening scale, 39-40 correct is Band 9.0, 37-38 correct is Band 8.5, 35-36 correct is Band 8.0, 32-34 correct is Band 7.5. The exact cut-offs move a little from test to test, so treat it as an estimate.
- Where are the explanations for each answer?
- Each part has its own page: Stolen briefcase report, Six o'clock news, Economics course requirements, University of Westlands. They show the line in the recording that gives every answer and the distractors that catch people.
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 1 Test 1 listening paper with the real audio: all four parts, played once, marked the moment you finish. Already done it? Take it again and listen for the traps this page showed you.
Cambridge IELTS 1, Test 1, Listening. The recording, transcript and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. The answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full material, or sit the test on Langujet.