Cambridge 3 Listening Test 1: answers and online practice
The whole test on one page: all 40 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 · 40 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Questions 1-10 · Note completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 1 | city centreAlso accepted: the city centre / city center / the city center / the city centre itself | |
| 2 | £250 to £500Also accepted: 250 to 500 / £250-£500 / 250-500 / £250 to about £500 / 250 to about 500 / £250 - £500 / 250 - 500 | |
| 3 | gardenAlso accepted: a garden | |
| 4 | 325Also accepted: £325 | |
| 5 | waterAlso accepted: the water / water bill / the water bill / water bills | |
| 6 | telephoneAlso accepted: the telephone / phone / telephone rental / phone rental | |
| 7 | WednesdayAlso accepted: Wed / Wednesday afternoon | |
| 8 | employerAlso accepted: your employer | |
| 9 | two weeks'Also accepted: 2 weeks' / two weeks / 2 weeks / a fortnight / fortnight / fourteen days / 14 days | |
| 10 | one month's rentAlso accepted: 1 month's rent / month's rent / a month's rent | |
| Questions 11-12 · Short answers (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 11 | daughterAlso accepted: her daughter / Anna / her daughter Anna / child / her child | |
| 12 | practiceAlso accepted: a practice / practices | |
| Questions 13-17 · Table completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 13 | 6Also accepted: six / about 6 / about six | |
| 14 | 4Also accepted: four / about 4 / about four | |
| 15 | betterAlso accepted: more efficient / faster | |
| 16 | elderlyAlso accepted: old / older | |
| 17 | back problemsAlso accepted: back trouble / bad backs | |
| Question 18 · Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 18 | 9Also accepted: nine / 9 am / 9.00 | |
| Question 19 · Multiple choice | ||
| 19 | B | |
| Question 20 · Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 20 | 5Also accepted: five / £5 / 5 pounds / five pounds | |
| Questions 21-30 · Note completion (NUMBERS AND/OR NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 21 | Politics | |
| 22 | AfricaAlso accepted: West Africa | |
| 23 | 1990 to 1992Also accepted: 1990-1992 / 1990 - 1992 / 1990-92 | |
| 24 | Teach South | |
| 25 | rural co-operativeAlso accepted: rural cooperative / rural co operative | |
| 26 | Geography | |
| 27 | 5Also accepted: five / V / Form 5 | |
| 28 | homesickAlso accepted: very homesick / missed his family / missed my family / missed family / homesickness | |
| 29 | favourite subjectAlso accepted: favorite subject | |
| 30 | applicationsAlso accepted: useful applications / many applications / many useful applications | |
| Questions 31-36 · Multiple choice | ||
| 31 | A | |
| 32 | B | |
| 33 | B | |
| 34 | C | |
| 35 | A | |
| 36 | B | |
| Questions 37-40 · Matching (A-C) | ||
| 37 | B | |
| 38 | A | |
| 39 | B | |
| 40 | C | |
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 3 Listening Test 1 online?
- Yes. Langujet has the full Cambridge IELTS 3 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: Flagstone Properties, Dean End Health Centre, Teacher training application, Back pain. 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 3 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 3, 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.