The listening test: points and strategy
By the end of this lesson you know how to tackle the listening test: read the questions first, get the general idea, then check the details.
5 min · Level A2+
Before listening, read the questions: then you know what to look for (a time, a place, a person). When you hear a text twice: the first time, understand the situation and answer the easy questions; the second time, check and complete.
In true/false questions, «true» means the information is there, even in other words: è chiuso = non è aperto. If you don't understand a word, don't stop: the next sentence often explains it.
A blank answer always scores 0. Read your exam's instructions: if a wrong answer does not cost points, never leave an answer blank and choose the most likely one.
CILS: 30 minutes, 12 points. Task 1: 6 multiple-choice questions (3 options), 1 point each. Task 2: 12 pieces of information, present or not present, 0.5 points each. Every text is played twice; the recording includes the time to answer. A wrong answer scores 0, like a blank one: it costs no points, so always answer.
CELI: 20 minutes, 4 tasks, 28 questions. One task is phonetic discrimination: you read sentences with the same words as the text and decide whether they are or are not in what you hear. Listen carefully to every sound.
PLIDA: about 40 minutes, 4 parts, 20 questions: short dialogues with picture answers, texts to match with information, and multiple-choice questions. Every text is played twice.
CERT.IT: 3 tasks, 20 points: dialogues with multiple-choice questions, a radio news bulletin with two-option questions, short messages. In tasks 1 and 2 every text is played twice; for the messages the official page doesn't say how many times: be ready to understand at the first listening.
On the page
«Il negozio resta chiuso lunedì» = lunedì non è aperto.
«The shop stays closed on Monday» = on Monday it isn't open.
«La riunione è rimandata a giovedì» = oggi non si fa.
«The meeting is postponed to Thursday» = it isn't happening today.
«L'autobus passa ogni venti minuti» = tre volte in un'ora.
«The bus comes every twenty minutes» = three times an hour.
Volevo venire martedì, però il martedì l'ufficio è chiuso.
I wanted to come on Tuesday, but on Tuesdays the office is closed.
«Si può pagare anche con la carta» = non solo in contanti.
«You can also pay by card» = not only in cash.
Common mistakes
✗ Ascolto senza leggere prima le domande.→ Leggo le domande prima di ascoltare.
Without the questions you listen to everything in the same way. With the questions you know what to look for.
✗ Non capisco una parola e smetto di ascoltare.→ Non capisco una parola, ma continuo ad ascoltare.
A single word rarely decides the answer. If you stop, you miss the sentences that follow.
✗ Nella frase ci sono parole diverse dall'audio, quindi è falso.→ Controllo se l'informazione è la stessa, anche con parole diverse.
The questions often use other words: what counts is the information, not identical words.
Check yourself
Che cosa fai prima di ascoltare?
Quale frase dice la stessa cosa?
«Vero» vuol dire che l'informazione c'è nel testo, anche con parole diverse.
CILS: quanto vale ogni risposta giusta nel compito 2?
CELI: quanto dura la prova di ascolto?
PLIDA: nella prova di ascolto ogni testo si sente una volta sola.
CERT.IT: quanti compiti ha la prova di ascolto?
In one line
Read the questions first, listen for the general idea and then for the details, don't stop on one word and, if mistakes cost no points, don't leave answers blank.
civicoach practice booklet · not an official document