B1 Business Preliminary (BEC Preliminary) Listening Part Three
The Task
In this part of the exam, you have to add ONE or TWO words to some notes/form. You will receive one point for each correct answer. The notes or form are shown on the exam paper, you must complete it. The information is given in a monologue which you will hear it twice. The answers are in the same order as the questions.
Introduction length – about 45 seconds.
You can download the audio file for Listening Part Three here.
Procedure
Read the context. This is usually in line one and line three of the task instructions. In this task it is important to understand the context of what you will hear.
Read the notes and highlight the keywords. The keywords will be either what you are listening for such as nouns, colours, dates, places or they can be words which will help you find the answer in the listening, for example, names or months.
During the first listening, listen for the keywords or synonyms of the keywords and write down any information you hear related to them. Remember that the answer might come before you hear the keyword.
During the second listening try to reduce the information you have to the specific one or two words which make the answer. If you did not write anything during the first listening, then remember “where” the answer is and be ready, especially if you only heard the keyword and you know that the answer is before it. Write what you hear.
You can use part of the ten minutes allowed at the end of the test to help you with this part so it is important in part 3 to write what you hear.
B1 Business Preliminary (BEC Preliminary) Listening Part Four
The Task
In this part of the exam, you will hear an interview or a conversation. You will have to answer 8 multiple-choice questions. You will receive one point for each correct answer There are 3 possible answers shown but only one is correct. The answers are in the same order as the questions.
Introduction length – 1 minutes 19 seconds.
You can download the audio file for Listening Part Four here and the answers to the complete test here.
Procedure one – For people who are comfortable and confident at listening.
Read the questions first and try NOT to read the three possible answers. This is because reading the questions is the priority. Also, two of the three options are wrong and you might get distracted.
Highlight the question word, this will help you focus on what you are listening for. If there is no question word and the “question” is a sentence, then make a question word. If the sentence includes because, the question word is “why”, if it talks about objects, the questions is “what”, if it mentions places then the question word is “when”.
Highlight the keywords. These can be extra words which can change or modify the meaning of the sentence, for example, normally, mainly or main, the best. It is important to highlight these words because the listening will usually mention two or all of the three options but is only one that is the specific answer and relates directly to the questions.
During the first listen, LISTEN, and respond. Do not read the A B C options. Listen and try to hear and understand the answer. When you hear the answer write it in your own words.
During the second listen, you know what is important and where the answer is. Read the A B C options, choose the option which corresponds with your answers and when you hear the answer part use it to confirm your answer.
Procedure two – For people who are less confident at listening
Read the questions AND the three possible answers.
Highlight the question word, this will help you focus on what you are listening for. If there is no question word and the “question” is a sentence, then make a question word. If the sentence includes because, the question word is “why”, if it talks about objects, the questions is “what”, if it mentions places then the question word is “when”.
Highlight the keywords. In the questions AND the answers. When you read the three A B C options focus on the differences between each one. These can be extra words which can change or modify the meaning of the sentence, for example, normally, mainly or main, the best. It is important to highlight these words because the listening will usually mention two or all of the three options but is only one that is the specific answer and relates directly to the questions.
During the first listening, listen for the part which discusses each question and try to choose one possible answer. If it is difficult to choose then try to eliminate one option which you are confident is not correct.
During the second listen, be ready and focus on the specific information related to the questions and make a decision about which A B C option to choose.
Transfer time
You are finished, the listening is over.
In fact, you still have some work to do. Working well in this part can give you extra points.
When Part Four finishes you have a whole wonderful ten minutes given to you to “transfer” your answers to the official answer sheet.
This extra time is very valuable, but you need to be careful and use it.
Part One
There is nothing special to do here. Just make sure you select the letter you chose when listening.
Part Two
Here you need to make sure you write exactly what you decided when listening. Check carefully for spellings that are difficult, long numbers, or reference numbers with a combination of letters and numbers. There is no point hearing it correctly and then writing it incorrectly. Believe me, people can LOSE points here just when writing.
Part Three
Here you need to change your notes into the ONE or TWO words required for the answer. In the procedure, I advised you to write what you hear so you may have written more than one or two words. If this is the case, decide on which words are the exact answer to the question.
Part Four.
If you find part four difficult you can transfer these answers first because you have just finished listening to part four. Here it can be used to review your notes but also the logic of your answers. I feel that student can often forget to use logic and their own professional knowledge. So here consider the answer you chose during the stress of the listening is logical.
