Cambridge IELTS 12 Academic Listening Test 1

• 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 12 Academic Listening Test 1 delivers the four-section format without obvious surprises, which makes it a clean test of routine rather than improvisation. Section 1 features a rental accommodation enquiry; Section 2 moves into a public safety briefing; Section 3 shifts into students discussing a reading list or article; and Section 4 closes with a business and management lecture.

Section 1 uses note completion; Section 2 uses multiple choice, multi-answer multiple choice and completion; Section 3 uses multiple choice plus note completion; Section 4 uses note completion. Section 1 contains the example answer that everyone treats as a freebie — read it carefully so you understand the format the examiner expects before question 2 starts. Trust the first answer you wrote unless you have a clear reason to override it during transfer.

Spend the preview seconds underlining the keyword in each gap and pencilling a word-class hint above it. Resist over-correcting in real time — if you miss an answer, leave it and rejoin at the next signpost. Use the ten-minute transfer window to clean up capitalisation, plurals and word limits. For band 7, accuracy on the last ten questions usually decides the score.

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.