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 18 Test 1 Listening answers with clear explanations. This answer key applies to both Academic and General Training candidates.
Cambridge IELTS 18 Test 1 Listening Answer Key
Use this answer key for quick marking. Accepted alternatives are shown with a slash. Read each part below for a clear explanation.
Part 1: Transport survey
Questions 1 to 10Part 2: Becoming a volunteer for ACE
Questions 11 to 20Part 3: Talk on jobs in fashion design
Questions 21 to 30Part 4: Elephant translocation
Questions 31 to 40Part 1: Transport survey
A transport survey about journeys by bus, car and bicycle.
1Postcode: ____
Answer: DW30 7YZ / DW307YZ
The recording states that postcode: DW30 7YZ. The accepted forms include DW30 7YZ or DW307YZ.
2Date of bus journey: ____
Answer: 24th April / 24 April / 24th of April
The recording states that date of bus journey: 24th April. The accepted forms include 24th April or 24 April or 24th of April.
3Reason for trip: shopping and visit to the ____
Answer: dentist
The recording states that reason for trip: shopping and visit to the dentist. This confirms dentist as the missing answer.
4Travelled by bus because cost of ____ was too high
Answer: parking
The recording states that travelled by bus because cost of parking was too high. This confirms parking as the missing answer.
5Got on bus at ____ Street
Answer: Claxby
The recording states that got on bus at Claxby Street. This confirms Claxby as the missing answer.
6Complaint: bus today was ____
Answer: late
The recording states that complaint: bus today was late. This confirms late as the missing answer.
7Complaint: frequency of buses in the ____
Answer: evening
The recording states that complaint: frequency of buses in the evening. This confirms evening as the missing answer.
8Goes to the ____ by car
Answer: supermarket
The recording states that goes to the supermarket by car. This confirms supermarket as the missing answer.
9Dislikes cycling in the city centre because of the ____
Answer: pollution
The recording states that dislikes cycling in the city centre because of the pollution. This confirms pollution as the missing answer.
10Does not own a bike because of a lack of ____
Answer: storage
The recording states that does not own a bike because of a lack of storage. This confirms storage as the missing answer.
Part 2: Becoming a volunteer for ACE
A talk about applying for voluntary work with ACE.
11Why does the speaker apologise about the seats?
Answer: C - Some of them are very close together.
The recording links this point with Some of them are very close together.. This makes C the correct choice.
12What does the speaker say about the age of volunteers?
Answer: A - The age of volunteers is less important than other factors.
The recording links this point with The age of volunteers is less important than other factors.. This makes A the correct choice.
13What does the speaker say about training?
Answer: A - It is continuous.
The recording links this point with It is continuous.. This makes A the correct choice.
14Which TWO issues does the speaker ask the audience to consider before they apply to be volunteers?
Answer: B or E
The recording links this point with their level of commitment or their availability. The accepted choices may appear in either order.
15Which TWO issues does the speaker ask the audience to consider before they apply to be volunteers?
Answer: E or B
The recording links this point with their availability or their level of commitment. The accepted choices may appear in either order.
16Fundraising
Answer: B - original, new ideas
The recording links this point with original, new ideas. This makes B the correct choice.
17Litter collection
Answer: G - a good level of fitness
The recording links this point with a good level of fitness. This makes G the correct choice.
18Playmates
Answer: D - an understanding of food and diet
The recording links this point with an understanding of food and diet. This makes D the correct choice.
19Story club
Answer: A - experience on stage
The recording links this point with experience on stage. This makes A the correct choice.
20First aid
Answer: F - a good memory
The recording links this point with a good memory. This makes F the correct choice.
Part 3: Talk on jobs in fashion design
Hugo and Chantal discuss a talk about careers in fashion design.
21What problem did Chantal have at the start of the talk?
Answer: A - Her view of the speaker was blocked.
The recording links this point with Her view of the speaker was blocked.. This makes A the correct choice.
22What were Hugo and Chantal surprised to hear about the job market?
Answer: B - There is more variety in it than they had realised.
The recording links this point with There is more variety in it than they had realised.. This makes B the correct choice.
23Hugo and Chantal agree that the speaker's message was
Answer: A - unfair to them at times.
The recording links this point with unfair to them at times.. This makes A the correct choice.
24What do Hugo and Chantal criticise about their school careers advice?
Answer: C - who gave the advice
The recording links this point with who gave the advice. This makes C the correct choice.
25When discussing their future, Hugo and Chantal disagree on
Answer: B - when to choose a career in fashion.
The recording links this point with when to choose a career in fashion.. This makes B the correct choice.
26How does Hugo feel about being an unpaid assistant?
Answer: A - He is realistic about the practice.
The recording links this point with He is realistic about the practice.. This makes A the correct choice.
27Which TWO mistakes did the speaker admit she made in her first job?
Answer: B or E
The recording links this point with paying too much attention to how she looked or openly disliking her client. The accepted choices may appear in either order.
28Which TWO mistakes did the speaker admit she made in her first job?
Answer: E or B
The recording links this point with openly disliking her client or paying too much attention to how she looked. The accepted choices may appear in either order.
29Which TWO pieces of retail information do Hugo and Chantal agree would be useful?
Answer: A or C
The recording links this point with the reasons people return fashion items or fashion designs people want but can't find. The accepted choices may appear in either order.
30Which TWO pieces of retail information do Hugo and Chantal agree would be useful?
Answer: C or A
The recording links this point with fashion designs people want but can't find or the reasons people return fashion items. The accepted choices may appear in either order.
Part 4: Elephant translocation
A lecture about moving elephants between wildlife parks in Malawi.
31Overpopulation caused damage to ____ in the park.
Answer: fences
The recording states that overpopulation caused damage to fences in the park. This confirms fences as the missing answer.
32A suitable group of elephants from the same ____ was selected.
Answer: family
The recording states that a suitable group of elephants from the same family was selected. This confirms family as the missing answer.
33Vets and staff used ____ to guide the elephants into an open plain.
Answer: helicopters
The recording states that vets and staff used helicopters to guide the elephants into an open plain. This confirms helicopters as the missing answer.
34Immobilisation had to be completed quickly to reduce ____.
Answer: stress
The recording states that immobilisation had to be completed quickly to reduce stress. This confirms stress as the missing answer.
35Elephants were turned on their ____ to avoid lung damage.
Answer: sides
The recording states that elephants were turned on their sides to avoid lung damage. This confirms sides as the missing answer.
36The elephants' ____ had to be monitored constantly.
Answer: breathing
The recording states that the elephants' breathing had to be monitored constantly. This confirms breathing as the missing answer.
37Data included the size of their tusks and ____.
Answer: feet
The recording states that data included the size of their tusks and feet. This confirms feet as the missing answer.
38One advantage was ____ opportunities.
Answer: employment
The recording states that one advantage was employment opportunities. This confirms employment as the missing answer.
39There was a reduction in poachers and ____.
Answer: weapons
The recording states that there was a reduction in poachers and weapons. This confirms weapons as the missing answer.
40There was an increase in ____ as a contributor to GDP.
Answer: tourism
The recording states that there was an increase in tourism as a contributor to GDP. This confirms tourism as the missing answer.
Academic and General Training Listening Answers
Are the Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic and GT Test 1 Listening Answers the Same?
Yes. Academic and General Training candidates use the same Cambridge IELTS 18 Test 1 Listening recording, questions and answer key. The Reading and Writing tests are different.
Can I Use This Page for Cambridge IELTS 18 General Training Test 1?
Yes. Every answer and explanation on this page applies to the General Training Listening test.
Are Alternative Answers Included?
Yes. We show alternatives only when they are accepted for this test. Examples include DW30 7YZ or DW307YZ, and 24th April or 24 April.
What to Do After Marking
Label each error as a listening error, spelling error, distractor error, or instruction error. Replay only the difficult part after completing one full timed attempt.