B2 First Overview of the Listening Paper

Aims of the lesson To give students an overview of the format of the

B2 First Listening paper (Paper 3)

Time needed 20 minutes

Materials required Classroom Handout 1 (one per student) Overview Text

Handbook or exam specifications
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-
qualifications/first/exam-update-for-2015/

1. It might be a good idea to record yourself reading the Overview Text as this will give your students
some listening practice. If you are unable to record the script, you can read it out in class.

2. Tell your students that you are going to be looking at the B2 First Listening paper. Ask students what
they know about the exam, but don’t confirm or tell them too much about the exam at this stage.
Timing: 5 mins
3. Put your students in pairs/small groups and give them a copy of Classroom Handout 1. Students work
together to match the questions to the answers.
Timing: 5 mins
4. To check the answers, read/play the script at a natural, reasonable speed. Students listen and check
their answers. This is intended to give the students some listening exam practice.
Timing: 3 mins
5. Once you have read the text, give your class 1–2 minutes to discuss the answers. Then read the text
again at the same speed. Students use the second listening to double-check their answers and deal
with any queries.

Answers
1. F 2. J 3. K 4. B 5. I 6. H
7. C 8. G 9. L 10. A 11. E 12. D

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Suggested follow-up activities

You could give out an actual sample listening paper and get students to check the answers to the quiz below
with the relevant parts of the test. You could extend the task further by asking what type of task each one is.
A sample listening paper can be found in the Handbook for Teachers
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-qualifications/first/exam-update-for-2015/

Additional Information

In Paper 3, candidates may be tested on their understanding of gist, main points, detail or specific
information, or their ability to deduce meaning from a text. They may listen to monologues or interacting
speakers from a variety of sources. The paper contains four parts and there are 30 questions in total.

In Part 1, the multiple-choice section, candidates will hear eight short, unrelated extracts of approximately 30
seconds each. Before each extract, candidates hear a question and they have to choose the answer from
three choices.

In Part 2, candidates will hear a monologue. The text lasts 3-4 minutes. Candidates are required to complete
10 sentences with the information heard on the recording.

In Part 3, multiple matching, candidates hear five short related monologues of approximately 30 seconds
each. They then must choose the correct answer for each of the five questions from eight possible options.

In Part 4, candidates hear a dialogue lasting 3-4 minutes. There are seven multiple-choice questions, each
with three options.

The number of questions in each section does not change from one paper to another. Candidates hear each
section twice, and the test lasts approximately 40 minutes.

Candidates must write all their answers on a separate answer sheet. They may write on the question paper
as they listen, but must transfer answers to the answer sheet. Five minutes are allocated at the end of the
test for candidates to do this. Candidates show their answers by shading the lozenge or by writing out their
answers for Part 2.

Each question carries 1 mark. The total score is then adjusted to give a mark out of 40, which is 20% of the
total exam. Parts 1, 3 and 4 are marked by computer; Part 2 is marked by trained, experienced markers.

© UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made.
For f urther information see our Terms and Conditions.
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Classroom Handout 1

How much do you know about the B2 First Listening paper? Match the questions
on the left with the correct answers on the right.
The first one has been done for you as an example.

How many parts are there in the Listening

1 a one
test?
2 How many questions are there? b twice
How many questions does each part
3 c on the question paper
have?
Parts 1, 3 and 4 are computer-
4 How many times do you hear the extracts? d marked; Part 2 is marked by trained
markers.
5 How long is the Listening test? e 30 marks; 20% of the total FCE exam
Where do candidates write their final
6 f 4
answers?
Where do candidates write their answers during the 5 minutes’ transfer time
7 g
while they are listening? allowed at the end of the test
When should candidates write their
8 h on a separate answer sheet
answers on the answer sheet?
9 How do candidates write their answers? I approximately 40 minutes
10 How many marks is each question worth? j 30
What is the total number of marks Part 1: 8; Part 2: 10; Part 3: 5; Part 4:
11 k
awarded? 7
they shade the lozenge or write their
12 Who marks the Listening test? l
answer out for Part 2

© UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made.
For f urther information see our Terms and Conditions.
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Overview Text

In Paper 3, candidates may be tested on their understanding of gist, main points, detail or specific
information, or their ability to deduce meaning from a text. They may listen to monologues or interacting
speakers from a variety of sources. The paper contains four parts and there are 30 questions in total.

In Part 1, the multiple-choice section, candidates will hear eight short, unrelated extracts of approximately 30
seconds each. Before each extract, candidates hear a question and they have to choose the answer from
three choices.

In Part 2, candidates will hear a monologue. The text lasts 3-4 minutes. Candidates are required to complete
10 sentences with the information heard on the recording.

In Part 3, multiple matching, candidates hear five short related monologues of approximately 30 seconds
each. They then must choose the correct answer for each of the five questions from eight possible options.

In Part 4, candidates hear a dialogue lasting 3-4 minutes. There are seven multiple-choice questions,
each with three options.

The number of questions in each section does not change from one paper to another. Candidates hear
each section twice, and the test lasts approximately 40 minutes.

Candidates must write all their answers on a separate answer sheet. They may write on the question
paper as they listen, but must transfer answers to the answer sheet. Five minutes are allocated at the
end of the test for candidates to do this. Candidates show their answers by shading the lozenge or by
writing out their answers for Part 2.

Each question carries 1 mark. The total score is then adjusted to give a mark out of 40, which is 20% of the
total exam. Parts 1, 3 and 4 are marked by computer; Part 2 is marked by trained, experienced
markers.

© UCLES 2008. This material may be photocopied (without alteration) and distributed for classroom use provided no charge is made.
For f urther information see our Terms and Conditions.
4