PAPER 4: Listening - Part 2 - Sentence Completion - Tips

PAPER 4: LISTENING (APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES) 30 questions in total to answer – 40 points in total

Part 2: SENTENCE COMPLETION monologue or conversation - 10 questions; 10 marks

Tips to remember while in the exam

- 45 seconds to look at questions to Part 2.

- You will hear the recording twice.

- You will hear a ‘Buzz’ indicating the listening is being repeated a second time.
- You don’t need to write complete sentences on the answer sheet.

- Short phrases or words can make all the different when you look back on them when filling in your answers.

- The gaps take from one to three words maximum.

- Note-taking is vital in this part.

- Decide whether the gap should take an adjective, noun, verb, etc. Also see if the word needs to be in a positive/negative form, singular/plural, active/passive, etc.

- “Word spotting” Listen out for a word, or words, used in the listening to help you identify where the gap area refers.  Listen carefully to what is said around this area.

- Check form of speech.

- Check spelling before and after transferring your answer.

- Use CAPITAL letters when writing your ANSWERS to this Part.

- Use one box for each letter.

- Leave a space (one blank box) between each word.

- As for writing any mistakes/errors: any trace of lead from your pencil, not rubbed out completely can be traced by the correcting machines which check your answers. So rub out, as best you can, any errors!

- If two answers are present in this part, both answers will be count as zero. Rub out the one you do not want, and rub it out good!

- Use BIGGER capital letters for proper nouns, etc.

- A hyphen or a comma takes a box of its own.

- Check spelling.

- Answer all questions. You don’t lose points for incorrect answers.

- Don’t leave any answers in blank.

- Make a good educated guess at least!

- You don’t lose points for incorrect answers.

- NB. Remember that the perspective that you hear may, and will, not be the same perspective as you read the information given to you in the question format, so not-taking will help you to see the active /passive perspectives. E.g. You hear active but you read passive - you hear direct speech, you read indirect speech, etc.