C1 Advanced · Listening · Module 4, Lesson 4

Part 4: Multiple Matching

Five short speakers on one theme, each answered against two parallel tasks at once. The examiners are testing whether you can extract two different kinds of information from the same short monologue simultaneously.

5 speakers · 2 tasks 1 mark each (10 total) ~10 min target 8 options per task · heard twice
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What this part really tests

Five different speakers each talk briefly about the same theme. You hear each speaker once, and must answer two separate matching tasks about them at the same time — for example, what changed most for them, and what challenge they still face. Ten questions total, but only five recordings.

The examiner's method

  1. Read both task option lists before Speaker 1 begins — you're listening for two different things in the same monologue.
  2. Mentally split each speaker's turn in two: an early part usually answers Task 1, a later part usually answers Task 2.
  3. Don't try to finalize both answers on the first mention — a speaker may return to a detail relevant to the other task.
  4. If you catch Task 1 clearly but miss Task 2, don't panic; note your best guess and refine it on the second listen.
  5. The two tasks share the same five speakers but different option lists — don't accidentally answer Task 2 with a Task 1 option.
  6. By the end, each task should have five different options used, with three left over as distractors.

Traps that cost marks

Wrong task
A detail sounds like it could answer either task — check which task's option list it actually matches.
Early answer, later revision
A speaker mentions one thing early, then a more specific, corrected detail later — the later one is usually the real answer.
Overlap between speakers
Two speakers may mention a similar-sounding change or challenge — listen for the one specific detail that separates them.

Worked example

Speaker: "Cutting my commute by switching to remote work saved me the most time, easily. What I still haven't cracked is separating work from home life, since my laptop is always right there in the same room."

Task 1 (biggest change): A) Switching to remote work   Task 2 (ongoing challenge): B) Separating work from home life

  1. The first half answers Task 1 directly: "switching to remote work saved me the most time."
  2. The second half, after "what I still haven't cracked," answers Task 2: separating work from home life.
  3. Both answers come from the same speaker, just from different halves of their turn.
  4. Task 1: A. Task 2: B.
Try

Micro-trainer — three speakers first

Theme: three people talk about switching to a plant-based diet. Read both option lists below before you start.

Task 1 — main motivation

  1. Health reasons
  2. Environmental concerns
  3. Animal welfare
  4. Cost savings
  5. A doctor's strict order to lose weight

Task 2 — biggest ongoing challenge

  1. Limited restaurant options
  2. Higher cost of alternatives
  3. Awkwardness at family gatherings
  4. Difficulty cooking new recipes
  5. Lack of nutritional knowledge
Try score: 0 / 6
Ready for the real thing? Scroll down to Apply — five brand new speakers and two full tasks, against the clock.
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Exam-format practice

Theme: five people talk about how they reduced their household energy bills. Read both option lists below before Speaker 1.

10:00

Task 1 — biggest-difference change

  1. Installing loft insulation
  2. Installing a smart thermostat
  3. Switching to LED bulbs
  4. Installing solar panels
  5. Unplugging standby devices
  6. Replacing an old boiler
  7. Moving to a cheaper energy supplier
  8. Reducing shower length

Task 2 — ongoing challenge

  1. Old, single-glazed windows
  2. A front door that doesn't seal well
  3. Heavy reliance on a tumble dryer
  4. No way to store solar energy
  5. An old, inefficient fridge
  6. A leaking roof
  7. High water heating costs
  8. Poor wifi affecting a smart meter

Your result

Score0 / 10
Percentage0%

This is a practice estimate for one exam part only. Your official Cambridge result is calculated across the whole exam on the Cambridge English Scale.

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