Academic Talks
A 60–90 second academic talk, followed by four multiple-choice questions.
- ~60–90 second academic talk
- 4 multiple-choice questions
- Listening section · audio plays once · deterministic grading
What this task is
Academic Talks is the longest Listening task. You hear a single-speaker talk of roughly 60–90 seconds in academic register — like a short lecture segment — then answer four multiple-choice questions on main idea, detail, and the speaker's purpose or attitude.
Instant, deterministic grading
All four questions are graded deterministically against the stored answer key for an instant score and explanations. The talk plays once by default; practice mode adds replays and the transcript after you answer.
Strategy tips
- Catch the talk's main point early, then listen for the examples that support it.
- Note signpost words ("first", "however", "as a result") — they map the structure questions ask about.
- Listen for the speaker's stance; some questions ask why a point was made, not just what was said.
- With four questions on a longer talk, hold the overall thread rather than memorizing every word.
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Frequently asked questions
How long is the talk?
About 60–90 seconds of academic-register speech from a single speaker.
How many questions?
Four multiple-choice questions follow each talk.
Does the audio repeat?
On the exam it plays once. In practice mode here you can replay it and see the transcript after answering.
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