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CELPIP · Listening · L3

CELPIP Listening Part 3: Listening for Information

CELPIP Listening Part 3, Listening for Information, plays one recording in which information is explained, usually a conversation where one person describes a service, program or procedure to another. It plays once. You then answer 6 multiple-choice questions with four options each, mostly about specific facts, numbers and steps.

Questions
6
Audio
One information-heavy recording, played once
Answer type
Multiple choice, four options
Typical content
How a program, rule, service or process works
Scoring
Counts toward your CELPIP Listening level (1 to 12)

How it works

  1. 1An instruction screen asks you to listen carefully for details.
  2. 2The recording plays once from start to finish.
  3. 3The 6 questions appear one at a time after the audio ends.
  4. 4You answer each one and move on; the test then continues to Part 4.

Sample question

Original sample · not from an official test

Excerpt Clerk: The library's museum pass lets you borrow free entry for up to four people. You reserve it online, then pick it up at the front desk. Jamal: How long can I keep it? Clerk: Three days. And you can book one pass a month, not more. Jamal: What if I bring it back late? Clerk: There's no fine, but you lose booking privileges for the next month. Question: What happens if a pass is returned late?

  1. AThe borrower pays a small fine.
  2. BThe borrower cannot reserve a pass the following month.
  3. CThe borrower's library card is cancelled.
  4. DThe pass only admits two people next time.
Show answer

Answer: The borrower cannot reserve a pass the following month.

The clerk says "there's no fine, but you lose booking privileges for the next month." The fine is explicitly denied, and the other two options are never mentioned. Part 3 rewards catching the exact rule, including exceptions introduced with "but".

Tips that work

  • Expect numbers: prices, durations, limits and percentages. Note each one with what it refers to, for example "3 days = loan".
  • Listen for contrast words such as "but", "except" and "only". Rules and exceptions are where most Part 3 questions sit.
  • When the listener asks a question in the recording, pay extra attention to the answer. Those exchanges often map directly to a test question.
  • Distractors often recycle a real number from the audio attached to the wrong thing. Check what each number belonged to.

Common mistakes

  • Writing down a number without what it describes, then matching it to the wrong question.
  • Assuming a step is required because it sounds normal, when the speaker described it as optional.

Questions candidates ask

Is Part 3 a lecture or a conversation?

It is usually a conversation in which one person explains how something works and the other asks questions, though the focus is always on the information rather than the relationship. Either way, your job is to catch facts and steps.

How is Part 3 different from Part 2?

Part 2 is about people: plans, feelings and opinions. Part 3 is about facts: how a program, service or procedure works. The questions in Part 3 lean heavily on specific details such as figures, conditions and order of steps.

Should I take notes in Part 3?

Short notes help here more than in any other part, because the recording is dense with facts. Keep them to key words and numbers so you do not miss the next piece of information while writing.

Other CELPIP Listening tasks

CELPIP overviewCELPIP Listening: all partsCELPIP full mock testsCELPIP articles on the blog