Listening
Part 1
B2 First Exam
Overview
Part 1 of the B2 First Listening exam consists of 8 recordings with people talking about different topics. Each recording is about 30 seconds long.
For each dialogue, you must answer 1 multiple choice question (A, B, C).
You don’t have time to read the all the questions before the recording starts.
What happens
For each question:
You will hear an introduction.
Then you will have about 5 seconds before the dialogue begins.
At the end, the recording will say the dialogue will be repeated.
You will hear the dialogue again.
Process
Suggested strategy:
Listen to the introduction
Read the question carefully during the few seconds before the dialogue begins. You will have about 5 seconds
Underline key words if needed
Listen to the dialogue carefully. Then answer the question without looking at the options
Quickly check the options at the end of the recording to see if your answer is there
Listen again to confirm that your answer is correct
Repeat this process for each question
Tips
Answer the question yourself before looking at the three options. This will prevent you from being tricked or distracted by false answers
Practice your technique and get used to doing this task
Remember that you can write on your exam paper, so make notes if needed