Part 1: Listening to Problem Solving

What happens in Part 1

• You hear the conversation in three sections. After each section you answer two or three questions.
• You do not see the questions until each section has finished.
• Questions ask what the problem is, what each person suggests and what they decide to do.

Tips for a higher score

• Note who says what. Many wrong options repeat a suggestion that the other speaker rejected.
• Listen for the final decision, not the first idea: plans often change by the end of a section.
• Write short notes in two columns, one per speaker.

Common mistakes

• Picking an option because it repeats words you heard, rather than what was actually decided.
• Losing focus in section three, where the solution usually comes.

Step-by-step strategy for Part 1

1. Set up a T-chart before the audio starts. Draw a line down the middle of your scrap paper, one column for each speaker, and leave room to mark the three sections. When the first section starts, label the columns with names or simply "M" and "W".
2. Pin down the problem in the first few lines. The opening usually states what has gone wrong: a double booking, a broken appliance, a missed delivery. Write it at the top in three or four words, because at least one question is likely to ask about it.
   • The thing is ...
   • We've got a bit of a problem.
   • I just found out that ...
   • Here's the issue ...
3. Track each suggestion and the reaction to it. Note every idea in the column of the person who suggests it, then add a tick or a cross as soon as the other person responds. Rejected ideas are the most common wrong options.
   • What if we ...?
   • Why don't we ...?
   • I'm not sure that would work.
   • That could be tricky because ...
4. Listen for the change of plan at the end of each section. Decisions often shift in the last few lines of a section. Circle the latest decision so you do not answer with an earlier one.
   • Actually, ...
   • On second thought, ...
   • Let's go with ...
   • Okay, so we'll ...
5. Answer from your notes, then reset for the next section. You see the questions only after each section, so answer quickly from what you circled and ticked. Draw a line under your notes before the next section begins, since each one moves the problem forward.

Part 1 vocabulary and signal words

Part 1 sample tests (30 free practice tests)

Each test has the full text, every question and the answer key. Choose your answers and check them on the page.

• Adapting to a New Smartphone Operating System
• Book-Exchange Boxes
• Caring for Aging Parents from a Distance
• Choosing the Right Volunteer Opportunity
• Community Bulletin Board
• Creating a Daily Gratitude Journal Habit
• Dealing with Online Scams and Phishing
• Delivery Times for a Community-Supported Agriculture Box
• Electric Scooter Rental
• Handling Noisy Neighbors Politely
• Hosting a Virtual Family Reunion
• Laundry Room Usage Times

All 30 Part 1 sample tests · Full-length Listening practice tests (all parts, 38 questions)

Practice ideas for Part 1

1. Two roommates discover their landlord booked a plumber on the same day as their moving truck. Expect questions on the problem, which date they reject and who calls whom.
2. Two co-workers find out the room for their team's training session has been given to another group. Expect questions on the alternatives they consider and why one is ruled out.
3. A couple's flight to a family wedding is cancelled the night before. Expect questions on the options the airline offers and which one they finally choose.
4. Two volunteers realize half the food for a community barbecue was ordered for the wrong weekend. Expect questions on who suggests what and how they split the tasks.
5. A brother and sister plan a surprise party, but their mother changes her travel plans. Expect questions on the change, the new date and a detail they agree to keep secret.

Listening Part 1 questions, answered

More CELPIP Listening

• Part 2: Listening to a Daily Life Conversation (next)
• Part 3: Listening for Information
• Part 4: Listening to a News Item
• Part 5: Listening to a Discussion
• Part 6: Listening to Viewpoints