Listening

LanguageCert Academic Listening: the four parts and how to prepare

Every part of LanguageCert Academic Listening: what you hear, how many questions and options, what each part assesses and how to prepare for it, in tables.

By Certyar1 November 20264 min read

Read this in Persian

Listening is the first section of LanguageCert Academic: about 40 minutes, 4 parts and 30 questions, all marked by computer. This article goes through what each part asks of you and how to prepare for it, from the official exam page and LanguageCert's own Listening video.

Listening at a glance

Part	What you hear	What you do	Questions	Options
1	Seven short unfinished dialogues	Choose the best reply or continuation	7	3
2	Five short exchanges	Answer two questions on each	10	3
3	A monologue (an academic lecture or podcast)	Fill seven gaps in notes, three words at most each	7	—
4	A discussion between three speakers	Answer six questions	6	3
Total			30

According to LanguageCert Academic's page, each recording is played twice.

What each part assesses

In its Listening video, LanguageCert lists the section's aims in the order of the parts:

Part	What it assesses
1	Identifying meaning, purpose and function, and the speaker's relationship to the context
2	Understanding meaning, intention, viewpoint, argumentation and the speakers' relationship
3	Extracting key information from a monologue
4	Synthesising and summarising ideas, and following a discussion between three speakers

So the test isn't only about catching words: in Parts 1, 2 and 4 you need to understand why a speaker says something and what they mean.

Part 1: unfinished dialogues

You hear seven short dialogues, each cut off before it ends, and choose from three options the best reply or continuation. Often all three options are grammatical; the right one fits the function of the last line: is it a suggestion, a request, an apology, a disagreement?

Part 2: five short exchanges

You hear five short exchanges in academic settings, each followed by two three-option questions: ten questions in all. They are often about the speakers' opinions, intentions or feelings and how they relate to each other, not just a fact. If you have time before the recording, read the questions so you know what to listen for.

Part 3: notes on a talk

You hear a monologue, such as an academic lecture or podcast, and fill seven gaps in a set of notes or a form. Each answer is three words at most; a longer one isn't counted as right. Write the words as you hear them and take care with spelling.

Part 4: a three-speaker discussion

You hear a discussion or debate between three speakers and answer six three-option questions. The hard part is keeping track of which speaker thinks what, and where they agree or disagree. As you listen, note each speaker's view briefly next to their name or role.

How to prepare, part by part

Part	What to practise
1	Listen to everyday conversations and guess the reply before you hear it.
2	Notice tone and words like actually, to be honest and I suppose: a speaker's real view is often there.
3	Take notes on short academic talks, three words at most per point.
4	Listen to podcasts and debates with several speakers and sum up each one's view separately.
All	Use the first play for the gist and the second for detail and checking your answers.

Your Listening score

Listening is marked by computer and, like every skill, reported on the 0–100 Global Scale. The scale and levels are in how LanguageCert Academic is marked; every section's format is in the guide to the exam's format.

Practising Listening on Certyar

Certyar's Listening practice has the same four parts, with the same number of questions and options. Each recording plays twice, as in the exam, and once you send your answers you see the transcript and an explanation (in Persian) of each question.

Certyar is an independent preparation site, not affiliated with LanguageCert. For the official details, see LanguageCert Academic's page.