Listening: Types of questions

1. Filling in a table/completing sentences

This is probably the most common type of listening question.  You have to fill in one or two words or a number. This is used when you are looking for specific information.

• You are given time to read the questions before the audio.  When you do this, think about the kind of answer you are looking for.  Is it a credit card number? Is it a date? If you try to predict the answer you will hear the information more easily.
• Use the format of the table to guide you through the audio. The questions are always in the same order as the text. Listen for the information that is already written down in the table (e.g. titles) so you know when the answer is coming. 

2. Multiple Choice

This is often used to test more general understanding.  You have to choose between three possible answers: A,B and C. 

• As with the Reading Multiple Choice, you need to think about why the other answers are wrong. Some candidates make notes in this type of question and then choose the answer afterwards.  You need to practise to see if this works for you.

3. Matching

In Part 3 particularly, it is common to match opinions to the people speaking. This is a difficult questions as you are not listening for specific words; you are listening for gist.

• You need to look for synonyms. The words in the questions won't be the same as the words the speakers use.
• Again, some candidates make notes as they are listening and then compare their notes to the statements in the question.

4. Choosing alternatives

Here, you are given alternatives and asked to choose two or three.  For example, you need to choose the two statements that are advantages or the two things you need to bring on a trip. 

• You will hear all the alternatives in the dialogue.  Therefore, you cannot just listen for those words. You need to listen for exactly what the speaker says. If you are looking for advantages, you need to listen for the language that expresses that (e.g. A great thing to do/One good way). You also need to listen for the language that expresses disadvantages (e.g. I wouldn't recommend) so that you can eliminate the wrong choices.  Overall, the key thing here is not just to listen for the information in the questions but the language around it.

Here you can find some sample listening questions.