Cambridge IELTS 18 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 18 Academic Listening Test 2 is a strong choice for your final week of practice because the audio pace and accent variety mirror the live exam closely. Section 1 features a service enquiry between two speakers; Section 2 moves into a community-project briefing; Section 3 shifts into students discussing a reading list or article; and Section 4 closes with a lecture on bees and pollination.

Section 1 uses note completion plus table completion; Section 2 uses multi-answer multiple choice plus map labelling; Section 3 uses multiple choice, multi-answer multiple choice and completion; Section 4 uses note completion. In Section 2, the multiple-choice items rely on paraphrase rather than direct repetition, so the option that contains an exact word from the recording is usually the distractor, not the answer.

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.