Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Listening Test 2

• 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 13 Academic Listening Test 2 offers the familiar four-section progression from social to academic English, and the difficulty curve here is steeper than it first looks. Section 1 features an enquiry at a gym or leisure club; Section 2 moves into a community-project briefing; Section 3 shifts into students discussing an experiment or laboratory study; and Section 4 closes with a lecture on memory and cognition.

Section 1 uses note completion; Section 2 uses multiple choice plus multi-answer multiple choice; Section 3 uses multiple choice plus completion; Section 4 uses note completion. The transition between Section 2 and Section 3 catches most candidates: the speaker count doubles and the vocabulary tightens, so reset your concentration during the preview rather than carrying momentum across.

In the preview, scan for capitalised words and numbers in the surrounding text — these are your anchors. Write rough answers in the booklet, then transfer carefully at the end so a smudged spelling does not cost you a mark. If you lose your place in Section 4, jump to the next numbered cue rather than guessing backwards. Disciplined recovery is what separates band 6.5 from band 7.

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.