Cambridge IELTS 19 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 19 Academic Listening Test 1 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 booking or reservation dialogue; Section 2 moves into a guided introduction to a museum; Section 3 shifts into students discussing an experiment or laboratory study; and Section 4 closes with an archaeology lecture.

Section 1 uses note completion; Section 2 uses multiple choice plus map labelling; Section 3 uses multi-answer multiple choice plus completion; Section 4 uses note completion. The map task in Section 2 is the obvious risk: anchor yourself to the entrance arrow and rotate the page mentally before the audio begins, because the speaker's 'left' depends on where they are standing, not where you are.

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.