Cambridge 5 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 1-4 · Note completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 1 | minibusAlso accepted: by minibus / a minibus | |
| 2 | 15Also accepted: 15 people / fifteen | |
| 3 | April 18thAlso accepted: April the 18th / 18th April / 18 April / April 18 | |
| 4 | Pallisades | |
| Questions 5-6 · Multiple choice (choose TWO) | ||
| 5 | B and D(in either order) | |
| 6 | ||
| Questions 7-10 · Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 7 | 280 | |
| 8 | 14Also accepted: fourteen | |
| 9 | 20%Also accepted: 20 per cent / 20 percent | |
| 10 | 39745T | |
| Questions 11-19 · Table completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 11 | move aroundAlso accepted: move about | |
| 12 | brakes | |
| 13 | fingers | |
| 14 | satisfactory | |
| 15 | put togetherAlso accepted: put it together | |
| 16 | too wide | |
| 17 | dangerous | |
| 18 | wheels | |
| 19 | best buyAlso accepted: the best buy / the best / best / safe | |
| Question 20 · Note completion (ONE WORD ONLY) | ||
| 20 | sharp | |
| Questions 21-23 · Multiple choice | ||
| 21 | B | |
| 22 | A | |
| 23 | C | |
| Questions 24-25 · Multiple choice (choose TWO) | ||
| 24 | B and D(in either order) | |
| 25 | ||
| Questions 26-30 · Summary completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 26 | full-timeAlso accepted: full time | |
| 27 | a termAlso accepted: one term | |
| 28 | intensive | |
| 29 | two modulesAlso accepted: 2 modules / for two terms / two terms | |
| 30 | a topicAlso accepted: one topic | |
| Questions 31-35 · Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS) | ||
| 31 | politics | |
| 32 | learn | |
| 33 | children's educationAlso accepted: their children's education | |
| 34 | a carAlso accepted: car | |
| 35 | nursing care | |
| Questions 36-40 · Summary completion (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER) | ||
| 36 | crisis | |
| 37 | early twentiesAlso accepted: early 20s | |
| 38 | confidence | |
| 39 | money management | |
| 40 | low-risk investments | |
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 5 Listening Test 1 online?
- Yes. Langujet has the full Cambridge IELTS 5 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: Dreamtime Travel Agency, Buyer Beware: Baby Cots, Management diploma courses, Saving for the future. 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 5 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 5, 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.