Cambridge IELTS 20 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 20 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 a rental accommodation enquiry; Section 2 moves into a talk introducing a park or nature reserve; Section 3 shifts into students discussing an upcoming assignment; and Section 4 closes with a lecture on food production or nutrition.

Section 1 uses note completion; Section 2 uses completion plus multiple choice; Section 3 uses completion plus multiple choice; Section 4 uses 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.