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How to practise this section
- Play each section ONCE only — the real test does not repeat. Use the intro pauses to read ahead and predict what type of word fits each gap (a number? a name? a noun?).
- Write answers while you listen, then check spelling and word limits when you transfer them — both are marked.
- After revealing the answers, open the transcript and find the exact line for every question you missed. Work out what beat you: a paraphrase, a distractor, or linked speech.
Questions
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How to practise this section
- 60 minutes, 3 passages, 40 questions — about 90 seconds each, so don't read the passage word-by-word first. Skim it in ~2 minutes, then work question-by-question.
- Scan for the question's keywords AND their paraphrases — the passage almost never repeats the question's wording. Most question types follow passage order.
- Only reveal the answers after the full hour. For every miss, find the sentence in the passage that proves the correct answer before moving on.
Passages & questions
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How to practise this section
- Task 2 carries twice the marks of Task 1 — give it 40 of the 60 minutes. Spend the first 5 planning: your position, 2–3 main ideas, one example each.
- Write your own answer BEFORE opening the sample. Then compare structure, not just vocabulary: how it opens, how each paragraph carries one idea, how sentences vary.
- If the sample is marked below Band 7, it is there to show what costs marks — read the examiner's comments on it; don't imitate it.
Tasks
Download PDFHeads-up: this is a real candidate's answer that Cambridge examiners marked at Band 6.0. It shows what that band looks like — including its weaknesses. Read it with the examiner comments to see what costs marks; don't copy it as a target.
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How to practise this section
- Practise out loud and record yourself — reading the topics silently trains nothing the exam measures.
- Part 2: use the 1-minute preparation to jot 4–5 keyword prompts (not sentences), then speak for the full 2 minutes.
- Don't memorise scripts. Examiners mark fluency, vocabulary range, grammar variety and pronunciation — listen back and count your pauses and repeated words instead.
Topics
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