Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Listening Test 4

• Each audio plays once. You CANNOT pause or rewind during the exam.
• Take notes on the question section as you listen.
• After audio ends, you have 10 minutes to review and finalize answers.

Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Listening Test 4 works best as a timed mock rather than a study exercise — the surprises here lie in pacing rather than vocabulary. Section 1 features a library membership enquiry; Section 2 moves into a tour-guide briefing for a visiting group; Section 3 shifts into a tutorial between students and a tutor; and Section 4 closes with a lecture on robotics or automation.

Section 1 uses note completion plus table completion; Section 2 uses multiple choice plus table completion; Section 3 uses multi-answer multiple choice plus completion; Section 4 uses multiple choice plus note completion. Section 1's word-limit warning is the silent killer here — three-word answers in a TWO WORD AND/OR A NUMBER task are scored zero even when the content is right, so circle the limit instruction before the audio begins.

During the previews, decide for each gap whether the answer will be a number, a person's name, a place, or a common noun, and write the hint above the line. Avoid panic-erasing during the audio — keep the booklet messy and tidy it during transfer. Re-read every plural ending before you commit to the answer sheet. Band 7 is mostly about not losing easy marks.

New to this skill? Read the Listening question types guide for tactics, scoring rules, and frequency analysis across Cambridge 10–20. Or browse all Listening practice tests.

Looking for written strategy? See the IELTS Blog for in-depth posts.