What it is: You hear a recording and choose A, B or C. Only one answer is right. Each question is worth 1 mark.
The instruction on the paper: Elige la respuesta correcta. → Choose the correct answer.
Example: Elige la respuesta correcta.
Press play, choose A, B or C, then show the answer.
Vas a escuchar a Marta, que explica por qué llegó tarde al instituto.
- Según Marta, ¿por qué llegó tarde al instituto? A. Se quedó dormida. B. Tuvo que ayudar a su madre. C. Perdió el autobús de las ocho.
Hola, soy Marta. Hoy llegué tarde al instituto. No fue por el autobús: pasó a su hora, como siempre. Y no me quedé dormida, me desperté a las siete. El problema es que mi hermano pequeño estaba enfermo y tuve que ayudar a mi madre a llevarlo al médico.
Hi, I'm Marta. Today I was late for school. It wasn't because of the bus: it came on time, as always. And I didn't oversleep, I woke up at seven. The problem is that my little brother was ill and I had to help my mum take him to the doctor.
- B. Tuvo que ayudar a su madre.
- Elige la respuesta correcta.
- Choose the correct answer.
- Según…
- According to… (most questions start like this)
- … cree que… / … piensa que…
- … thinks that…
- ¿Qué…?
- What…?
- ¿Quién…?
- Who…?
- ¿Por qué…?
- Why…?
- ¿Cuándo…?
- When…?
Remember: Hearing the same word is not enough. The meaning of the option must match what the speaker says.
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Reading it is one thing — hearing it is another
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A method for every MCQ: You don't need every word — you need a method. Run the same five steps on each multiple-choice item and the distractors stop fooling you.
Crack a listening MCQ
Read all the options first
In the pause before the audio, read every option so you know what's on offer and what they differ on.
Predict what each could sound like
Predict the words each option would need — numbers, places, time words — so they jump out when you hear them.
Listen for the MEANING, not matching words
Listen for the meaning of the whole sentence. A familiar word alone is not the answer — it may be a trap.
Eliminate the distractors
Cross out options the recording contradicts. Narrowing to two makes the right choice far easier.
Choose and move on
Mark one option, then move on — don't second-guess on the second listen unless you clearly misheard.
Read → Predict → Meaning → Eliminate → Choose
Eliminate, don't hunt: It's faster to rule options out than to hunt for the perfect match. Each option you can eliminate makes the remaining choice clearer — and you hear the clip twice, so confirm on the second play.
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This is exactly how it feels: This is exactly how a listening MCQ feels: you hear it, you don't see the words.
How to work through it
- Read the options first.
- Play the clip.
- Eliminate the distractors.
- Reveal the transcript to check.
- Remember: in the real exam you'd hear it twice.
Opción múltiple — el fin de semana de Mateo
Listen to Mateo talk about his weekend, then answer the multiple-choice question before you reveal the transcript — that's exactly how a Paper 2 Listening MCQ works.
- ¿Qué hizo Mateo el sábado por la tarde? A. Fue al cine con sus amigos. B. Se quedó en casa jugando a videojuegos. C. Fue al parque a correr.
Hola, soy Mateo. El sábado pasado quería ir al cine con mis amigos, pero al final no fuimos porque las entradas estaban agotadas. Así que decidimos quedarnos en mi casa, pedimos pizza y jugamos a videojuegos toda la tarde. La verdad es que me lo pasé genial. El domingo sí salí: fui al parque a correr un rato.
Hi, I'm Mateo. Last Saturday I wanted to go to the cinema with my friends, but in the end we didn't go because the tickets were sold out. So we decided to stay at my house, we ordered pizza and played video games all afternoon. Honestly, I had a great time. On Sunday I did go out: I went to the park to run for a while.
- B. Se quedó en casa jugando a videojuegos.
Spot the word-match trap: Notice how option a) reuses cine, a word straight from the audio — that's the trap. He says no fuimos porque las entradas estaban agotadas. Listen for the meaning, and you hear it twice, so confirm on the second play.
Do
- Read the options before you listen.
- Match the meaning, not one word.
- Always choose a letter.
Don't
- Pick an option just because you heard its word.
- Change a right answer in a panic.
- Leave it blank.