CAE · Listening Parts 1 & 2 — Multiple Choice & Sentence Completion · Lagos, Nigeria
Listening Parts 1 & 2 — Multiple Choice & Sentence Completion for the CAE Exam — Lagos candidates
10% of the CAE test plan. Answering multiple-choice questions on short extracts and completing sentences from a monologue at C1 level. Calibrated for Lagosian candidates.
Behind every published pass rate is a distribution of which topics caused most of the failures. This is one of those topics. Listening Parts 1 & 2 — Multiple Choice & Sentence Completion sits at roughly 10% of the Cambridge Advanced (C1) content distribution — CAE Listening Parts 1 and 2 test complex listening at C1 level. Part 1 (3 multiple-choice per extract × 3 extracts) demands understanding of attitude, opinion, and implied meaning. Part 2 (8 sentence-completion items from a monologue) requires accurate note-taking and understanding of paraphrased information. Pass rates for the CAE are published annually by the awarding body and vary by cohort and locale. For Lagos candidates preparing for CAE, the calibration of study to local context matters: Lagos is West Africa's densest exam centre — JAMB UTME, WAEC, IELTS, and TOEFL all operate large weekly sessions. Pearson VUE Lagos serves NCLEX, GRE, and GMAT candidates region-wide.
Common failure modes
These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.
- !Part 1: Missing the speaker's underlying attitude because they focus on topic words
- !Part 2: Writing a paraphrase instead of the word(s) from the recording — transcription is required
- !Not pre-reading questions — losing the answer because you were not ready for it
Study tips
- 1For Part 1, listen for hedging language, intonation shifts, and contrast markers that reveal attitude.
- 2For Part 2, predict the grammatical category for each blank (noun, verb, adjective, number) from the sentence context.
- 3Listen to authentic C1 content: academic lectures (TED Talks), BBC Radio 4 documentaries, and formal interviews.
- 4JAMB UTME is delivered as CBT only — book your nearest CBT centre (Yaba, Surulere, Ikeja) early; centres outside Lagos State require interstate travel.
- 5IELTS speaking and listening sessions in Victoria Island fill 6 weeks ahead during peak migration season (May–August). Book a Lekki or Ikeja slot if VI is full.
- 6For NCLEX/GRE/GMAT: the Pearson VUE Ikeja centre is the most reliable NG site; bring a backup ID and arrive 90 minutes early — Lagos traffic is the most common cause of missed slots.
Sample CAE Listening Parts 1 & 2 — Multiple Choice & Sentence Completion questions
These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real CAE questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.
- 1
You hear: "The results were, shall we say, not entirely what we had hoped for." The speaker's attitude toward the results is:
- AEnthusiastic and positive
- BDiplomatically negative or disappointedCorrect
- CConfused and uncertain
- DCompletely neutral
Why this answer?
"Shall we say" is a hedging phrase that introduces a careful formulation. "Not entirely what we had hoped for" is a classic understatement — the speaker is disappointed but expressing it diplomatically. The careful phrasing signals the speaker is being tactful rather than direct.
Frequently asked questions
How is CAE Listening different from FCE Listening?
What is the CAE pass rate for Lagosian candidates?
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