All answers on this page include the question number, correct answer and a brief explanation of where to find it in the passage or audio. Use these alongside the original Cambridge IELTS books for the best practice experience.
Test 1 Listening Answers with Clear Explanations
Find all 40 Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 1 Listening answers with evidence-based explanations. The recording, questions and answer key are the same for Academic and General Training, so every answer link on this page supports both routes.
Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 1 Listening Answer Key
Use the key for quick marking, then read the explanations below. A slash separates accepted alternative forms. Where two letters are required, enter both letters across the two question numbers, in either order.
Part 1: Children’s Engineering Workshops
Questions 1 to 10Part 2: Stevenson’s work-experience programme
Questions 11 to 20Part 3: Art project proposals
Questions 21 to 30Part 4: Stoicism
Questions 31 to 40Part 1: Children’s Engineering Workshops
Questions 1-10. A caller asks about engineering workshops for children.
1Tiny Engineers create a cover for an ____ so they can drop it from a height without breaking it.
Answer: egg
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as egg. In the relevant exchange, what sorts of activities do they do? All sorts. For example, they work together to design a special cover that goes round an egg, so that when it’s inside they.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
2They take part in a competition to build the tallest ____.
Answer: tower
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as tower. In the relevant exchange, break. Well, sometimes it does break but that’s part of the fun! Right. And Lydia loves building things. Is there any opportunity for her to do that? Well, they have.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
3They make a ____ powered by a balloon.
Answer: car
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as car. In the relevant exchange, right. But they're learning all the time as well as having fun. For example, one thing they do is to design and build a car that’s attached to a balloon.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
4Junior Engineers build model cars, trucks and ____ and learn how to program them so they move.
Answer: animals
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as animals. In the relevant exchange, and do they do the same sorts of activities? Some are the same, but a bit more advanced. So they work out how to build model vehicles, things like cars.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
5They take part in a competition to build the longest ____ using card and wood.
Answer: bridge
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as bridge. In the relevant exchange, right. And do they have competitions too? Yes, with the Junior Engineers, it’s to use recycled materials like card and wood to build a bridge, and the longest one gets.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
6They create a short ____ with special software.
Answer: movie / film
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as movie / film. In the relevant exchange, that sounds fun. I wouldn’t mind doing that myself! Then they have something a bit different, which is to think up an idea for a five-minute movie and then film.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
7They build, ____ and program a humanoid robot.
Answer: decorate
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as decorate. In the relevant exchange, show all their friends. Exactly. And then they also build a robot in the shape of a human, and they decorate it and program it so that it can move.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
8The five-week block is held on ____ from 10 am to 11 am.
Answer: Wednesdays
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as Wednesdays. In the relevant exchange, they used to be, but we found it didn’t give our staff enough time to clear up after the first workshop, so we moved them to Wednesdays. The classes are.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
9Location: Building 10A, ____ Industrial Estate, Grasford.
Answer: Fradstone
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as Fradstone. In the relevant exchange, they’re in building 10A - there’s a big sign on the door, you can’t miss it, and that’s in Fradstone Industrial Estate. This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
10Plenty of ____ is available.
Answer: parking
Where to Listen: Part 1, questions 1 - 10
The recording gives the detail as parking. In the relevant exchange, and that’s in Grasford, isn’t it? Yes, up past the station. And will I have any parking problems there? No, there’s always plenty available. So would you like to enrol.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
Part 2: Stevenson’s work-experience programme
Questions 11-20. A speaker describes Stevenson’s company and gives a tour of its site.
11Stevenson’s was founded in
Answer: C - 1926.
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 11 - 14
The speaker's final point is managing director. Stevenson's is quite an old company. Like me, the founder, Ronald Stevenson, went into the steel industry when he left school - that was in 1923. He set.... That meaning matches 1926.; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
12Originally, Stevenson’s manufactured goods for
Answer: A - the healthcare industry.
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 11 - 14
The speaker's final point is although in fact that never came about - and for the automotive industry, that is, cars and lorries. However, there was a delay of five years before that happened, because.... That meaning matches the healthcare industry.; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
13What does the speaker say about the company premises?
Answer: B - The company has no plans to move.
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 11 - 14
The speaker's final point is he set up this company when he finished his apprenticeship, in 1926, although he actually started making plans two years earlier, in 1924. That meaning matches The company has no plans to move.; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
14The programme for the work experience group includes
Answer: C - talks by staff.
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 11 - 14
The speaker's final point is somewhere you'll be keen to find is the staff canteen. That meaning matches talks by staff.; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
15coffee room
Answer: H
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 15 - 20
The speaker's final point is corridor running left from here, and if you go along that, the door facing you at the end is the entrance to the coffee room. This looks out onto the.... That meaning matches H; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
16warehouse
Answer: C
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 15 - 20
The speaker's final point is entrance to the coffee room. This looks out onto the main road on one side, and some trees on the other, and that'll be where you meet each morning. The.... That meaning matches C; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
17staff canteen
Answer: G
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 15 - 20
The speaker's final point is can be accessed by lorries going up the road to the turning area at the end. You can get to the warehouse by crossing to the far side of the.... That meaning matches G; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
18meeting room
Answer: B
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 15 - 20
The speaker's final point is onto a corridor and courtyard, which aren’t very attractive at all, and on the other onto the access road, which isn’t much better. You'll be using the meeting room quite.... That meaning matches B; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
19human resources
Answer: I
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 15 - 20
The speaker's final point is the left of the courtyard, and continuing along it to the end. The meeting room is the last one on the right, and I’m afraid there’s no natural daylight in.... That meaning matches I; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
20boardroom
Answer: A
Where to Listen: Part 2, questions 15 - 20
The speaker's final point is at the front of this building, so you head to the left along the corridor from reception, and it’s the second room you come to. It looks out onto the.... That meaning matches A; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
Part 3: Art project proposals
Questions 21-30. Two students discuss the introductory stage of their art projects and the meanings of selected pictures.
21Which TWO parts of the introductory stage to their art projects do Jess and Tom agree were useful?
Answer: C + E (Either Order)
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 21 and 22
The speakers identify the two required points as the Natural History Museum visit / the handouts with research sources. The key exchange - really all that interested in wildlife. But I'm starting to get into it. I've pretty well finished the introductory stage. So have I. When they gave us all those handouts... - confirms both selections, while the other options are rejected, corrected or not stated. Enter the two letters in either order.
22Which TWO parts of the introductory stage to their art projects do Jess and Tom agree were useful?
Answer: C + E (Either Order)
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 21 and 22
The speakers identify the two required points as the handouts with research sources / the Natural History Museum visit. The key exchange - really all that interested in wildlife. But I'm starting to get into it. I've pretty well finished the introductory stage. So have I. When they gave us all those handouts... - confirms both selections, while the other options are rejected, corrected or not stated. Enter the two letters in either order.
23In which TWO ways do both Jess and Tom decide to change their proposals?
Answer: B + E (Either Order)
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 23 and 24
The speakers identify the two required points as by being less specific about the outcome / by making their notes more evaluative. The key exchange - I didn’t realise we had to do that. OK, I can add it now. And I’ve done the video diary presentation, and worked out what I want my outcome to... - confirms both selections, while the other options are rejected, corrected or not stated. Enter the two letters in either order.
24In which TWO ways do both Jess and Tom decide to change their proposals?
Answer: B + E (Either Order)
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 23 and 24
The speakers identify the two required points as by making their notes more evaluative / by being less specific about the outcome. The key exchange - I didn’t realise we had to do that. OK, I can add it now. And I’ve done the video diary presentation, and worked out what I want my outcome to... - confirms both selections, while the other options are rejected, corrected or not stated. Enter the two letters in either order.
25Falcon (Landseer)
Answer: D - a potential threat
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 25 - 30
The speaker's final point is like, I chose a painting of a falcon by Landseer. That meaning matches a potential threat; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
26Fish hawk (Audubon)
Answer: C - fast movement
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 25 - 30
The speaker's final point is i found I could research so many different aspects of birds in art - colour, movement, texture. That meaning matches fast movement; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
27Kingfisher (van Gogh)
Answer: A - a childhood memory
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 25 - 30
The speaker's final point is do you know that picture of a kingfisher by van Gogh - it’s perching on a reed growing near a stream. That meaning matches a childhood memory; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
28Portrait of William Wells
Answer: H - a confused attitude to nature
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 25 - 30
The speaker's final point is there’s a portrait called William Wells, I can’t remember the artist but it’s a middle-aged man who’s just shot a bird. That meaning matches a confused attitude to nature; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
29Vairumati (Gauguin)
Answer: F - the continuity of life
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 25 - 30
The speaker's final point is there’s Gauguin’s picture Vairumati. That meaning matches the continuity of life; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
30Portrait of Giovanni de Medici
Answer: G - protection of nature
Where to Listen: Part 3, questions 25 - 30
The speaker's final point is i chose a portrait of a little boy. That meaning matches protection of nature; nearby alternatives are examples, earlier ideas or distractors.
Part 4: Stoicism
Questions 31-40. A lecture explains Stoic principles, their influence and their relevance today.
31Stoicism is still relevant today because of its ____ appeal.
Answer: practical
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as practical. In the relevant exchange, in fact, it is something people have used throughout history - to solve their problems and to achieve their greatest triumphs. Specifically, I am referring to Stoicism, which, in my.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
32The Stoics’ ideas are surprisingly well known, despite not being intended for ____.
Answer: publication
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as publication. In the relevant exchange, seneca and Marcus Aurelius. Amazingly, we still have access to these ideas, despite the fact that the most famous Stoics never wrote anything down for publication. Cato definitely didn’t. Marcus.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
33Epictetus said that external events cannot be controlled but the ____ people make in response can be controlled.
Answer: choices
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as choices. In the relevant exchange, control - they don’t have to control us, because we can learn to control them. In the words of Epictetus: “external events I cannot control, but the choices I make.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
34A Stoic is someone who has a different view on experiences which others would consider as ____.
Answer: negative
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as negative. In the relevant exchange, the modern day philosopher and writer Nassim Nicholas Taleb defines a Stoic as someone who has a different perspective on experiences which most of us would see as wholly negative.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
35George Washington organised a ____ about Cato to motivate his men.
Answer: play
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as play. In the relevant exchange, the founding fathers of the United States were inspired by the philosophy. George Washington was introduced to Stoicism by his neighbours at age seventeen, and later, puton a play based.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
36Adam Smith’s ideas on ____ were influenced by Stoicism.
Answer: capitalism
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as capitalism. In the relevant exchange, ardent Stoic, referring to it as his “consoling religion’. The economist Adam Smith’s theories on capitalism were significantly influenced by the Stoicism that he studied as a schoolboy, under a.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
37The treatment for ____ is based on ideas from Stoicism.
Answer: depression
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as depression. In the relevant exchange, and that he has read it more than one hundred times over the course of his life. Stoicism had a profound influence on Albert Ellis, who invented Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
38People learn to base their thinking on ____.
Answer: logic
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as logic. In the relevant exchange, behave. It's most commonly used to treat depression. The idea is that we can take control of our lives by challenging the irrational beliefs that create our faulty thinking, symptoms.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
39In business, people benefit from Stoicism by identifying obstacles as ____.
Answer: opportunity
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as opportunity. In the relevant exchange, stoicism has also become popular in the world of business. Stoic principles can build the resilience and state of mind required to overcome setbacks because Stoics teach turning obstacles into.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
40It requires a lot of ____, but Stoicism can help people to lead a good life.
Answer: practice / practise
Where to Listen: Part 4, questions 31 - 40
The recording gives the detail as practice / practise. In the relevant exchange, i would argue that studying Stoicism is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago, thanks to its brilliant insights into how to lead a good life. At the.... This supplies the exact word or number required by the gap.
Academic and General Training Listening Answers
Are the Academic and GT Test 1 Listening Answers the Same?
Yes. Cambridge IELTS 16 Test 1 uses the same Listening questions, recording and answers for both routes. This single guide supports Academic and General Training candidates.
Which Practice Link Should I Use?
Choose the Academic or GT button for your test pathway. Both lead to the same Listening content. Reading and Writing are different, so choose the correct route for those skills.
How Do I Mark Two-Answer Questions?
Enter both required letters, one per question number. Either order is accepted. Repeating one correct letter does not supply the second required answer.
What to Do After Marking
Group your errors by misunderstanding, distractors, spelling and instructions. Review the difficult section, then try another complete test to check whether your accuracy improves.