FIDE Test Oral Exam: Listening & Comprehension (A1, A2, B1)

Welcome back to the FIDE Prep podcast.

In the last episode, we looked at the speaking section of the FIDE oral exam. Today, we focus on comprehension: the listening part.

This is the part where you hear short everyday recordings and show that you understand the important information.

Many people worry about listening because they think they must understand every word. You do not. Your goal is to understand the question, listen for the key information, and give the correct answer.

What happens in the FIDE listening part

The FIDE oral exam has two parts: speaking and comprehension. The full oral exam lasts about forty minutes. The comprehension part takes about fifteen to twenty minutes.

It is the shorter part, but it still counts. One third of your oral result comes from comprehension. The other two thirds come from speaking.

Comprehension normally comes directly after the speaking part. Unlike the speaking part, you normally do it with one examiner, often in a separate room.

You sit in front of the examiner. For the A1 and A2 questions, you have a booklet with the answer pictures in front of you. The recordings are played on a computer.

You do not read the questions, and you do not need to write your answer. The examiner says the situation and the question out loud, and writes your answer down.

That is useful to remember. You can focus on listening and answering. You do not need to worry about spelling or writing quickly.

FIDE listening exam levels

The listening part follows the same level path as the speaking part.

In the speaking part, everyone starts with the A2 tasks. After that, the examiners recommend A1 or B1 and explain what it means. The final choice is yours.

Your listening part then uses the same combination: A1–A2, or A2–B1.

There is one difference. In listening you always start with the easier level. On the A1–A2 path you start with A1. On the A2–B1 path you start with A2. After that, you move to the harder level.

FIDE listening exam format

For each level, there are two situations with three short recordings in each situation. That means six recordings for one level, and twelve in the whole listening part.

Every recording follows the same order. First the examiner describes the situation. Then the examiner asks the question. Then the recording is played. Then the examiner asks the same question again. Then you answer.

As I already mentioned, each situation has three recordings. The second and third recordings follow the same pattern: the situation stays the same, but each recording has its own question.

So you always know the question before you listen. And if you forget it, you can hear it again after the recording.

Listen carefully to the question first. It tells you exactly what information you need to find.

For example, the question may ask: “When is the appointment?” Do not try to remember every detail in the recording. Listen for the day and time.

Or the question may ask: “Why is the train late?” Then listen for the reason, not for every station name or extra detail.

Each recording is played once. If you need it, you can ask to hear it a second time. Two times is the maximum, so use the second listen well.

Asking for the second listen is normal, and it does not reduce your score. If you are not sure, always ask for it.

Do not rush. The examiner gives you time to answer.

A1 and A2 listening tasks

At A1, the recordings are short and direct. You choose one correct picture from three, and you say the letter out loud: a, b, or c.

You listen for one clear key fact: a place, a person, a time, an amount, or an everyday action.

For example, you may hear a person say that they are going to the post office. Look at the three pictures, find the post office, and show your answer.

At A2, the recordings are a little longer. You still look for one key fact, but there is extra information around it. This is sometimes called distractor information.

For example, a message may mention two different times. One time may be the original appointment, and the other may be the new appointment. Listen for what the question asks.

If the question is “What is the new appointment time?”, do not choose the first time you hear.

B1 listening tasks

At B1, there are no pictures. The examiner asks an open question, you answer out loud, and the examiner writes down your answer.

Your answer can be short. A full sentence is not necessary. You also do not need the same words as the recording. Your own words are fine, if the meaning is correct.

The B1 recordings are longer and have more detail.

For example, you may hear a message about a course that has changed. The question may ask why it changed, who should contact the school, or what people need to do next.

Answer directly. You do not need to repeat the whole message.

How to prepare for the FIDE listening exam

How can you prepare?

Start with listening practice that follows the official FIDE test format. On Fide Prep, you can use our listening practice papers. You can also use the official model test, which includes a free listening example.

You can also practise with transcripts, but use them in the right order. First listen without reading. Then check the transcript. Find the words or phrases you missed. Finally, listen one more time.

This helps you connect the spoken language with the words on the page.

But do not wait until you understand every grammar detail. Remember, in the exam, your only job is to answer the question.

This is really important. Do not panic if you do not understand every part of the recording. Focus on finding the answer. You do not need to understand every word or phrase to answer correctly.

In the next episode, we will move to the written part of the FIDE test: reading and writing.

Thank you for listening. Continue your FIDE preparation on Fide Prep. See you next time.