Longer listening pieces test your ability to follow extended dialogues, announcements, and narratives in Italian. These questions ask you to identify the general topic and give specific details in English.
How the listening section works
Audio clips feature familiar everyday conversations, news, and announcements.
- Recordings are played multiple times; note answers during pauses and check them on replay.
- Longer tracks are divided into several numbered sub-questions worth varying marks.
- Topics cover familiar areas such as daily routines, school, hobbies, travel, and family life.
Active listening and question formats
Use the pauses before each track to prepare.
- Underline question words like when, where, who, or why before the recording begins.
- For True or False items, listen for the specific detail that confirms or disproves the statement.
- Watch for distractors with ma (but) or invece (instead) when a speaker changes their mind.
High-frequency signposts and time clues
Key Italian phrases signal the exact details needed for answers.
| Italian Clue | English Meaning | Question Link |
|---|---|---|
| alle otto e mezza | at half past eight / 8:30 | What time? |
| un quarto d'ora | a quarter of an hour (15 minutes) | How long? |
| dieci minuti di pausa | ten-minute break | How long? |
| perché | because | Why? |
| prima... poi... | first... then... | In what order? |
| con mia sorella | with my sister | Who with? |
- Italian verbs change ending to show the subject, such as vado (I go) or andiamo (we go).
- Past actions with sono andato/a (I went) contrast with future plans like andrò (I will go).
Writing accurate answers in English
Follow exam instructions carefully for each question format.
- Answer in English where instructed, keeping proper names unchanged and writing Italian spellings in letter boxes.
- For 'give full details', include every qualifying piece of information mentioned.
- Write times, prices, and quantities as digits (such as 9:15 or €12) to avoid spelling mistakes.
- Tick the correct option box, or write only the requested missing letters or numbers.
Key terms
- Aural stimulus
- The spoken audio tracks played during the terminal examination to assess listening comprehension.
- Gist
- The overall topic or general sense of an audio passage.
- Specific information
- Exact factual details requested in questions, such as times, dates, prices, names, or reasons.
- Distractor
- A detail mentioned by a speaker that seems correct at first but is subsequently corrected or rejected.
- Perché
- Perché means 'because' when giving a reason and 'why' when asking a question.
- Full details
- An instruction to provide every relevant fact mentioned, such as descriptions, people, or reasons.
Check yourself
In which language should you write your answers?
In English.
How long is 'un quarto d’ora'?
Fifteen minutes (a quarter of an hour).
What must you include when asked for 'full details'?
Every relevant factual detail mentioned in the audio.
What do ma and invece mean in English?
'Ma' means 'but' and 'invece' means 'instead'.