| BULATS Listening – Part 3 – Multiple Matching (not included in the Computer Test)
Task Description
What sort of text do candidates listen to?
- Part 3 is divided into two sections. In each section, candidates hear five short monologues, plus one example which comes first.
- The five monologues are linked by theme or topic, and spoken by five different speakers.
- Part 3 covers Levels 2 to 4.
What do the candidates have to do?
- For each section, candidates have a list of eight options (listed A-H), from which to choose the one that matches each of the five speakers. A ninth option, I, is used for the example.
- In each section, the nine options form a coherent set and the overall theme or topic is clearly stated in the task rubric. For example, candidates may have to decide how the speakers plan to develop their careers. In this case, the set of options will be ways of developing careers.
- Candidates may be asked to identify topics, places, addressees, purposes, opinions or specific information.
- The two sections always test different areas, so if the first section focuses on, say, topics, the second section will focus on something else, such as functions.
- For each question, there is only one right answer: the other options are wrong. It is not a question of choosing among several answers that are correct to different degrees.
What skills are being assessed?
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Global listening skills, and ability to infer, extract gist, understand main ideas, identify speakers or addressees, interpret context, recognise the function of what is said, identify the topic, understand specific information, identify a speaker’s opinion or feelings. |
How long does this section last?
- Each monologue lasts around half a minute.
- Each monologue is heard only once.
- Candidates are given 20 seconds to read the written input for each section.
What text types are used?
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The texts are linked by theme or topic; for example, they may all report on a change that each speaker has introduced into their workplace; or they may all have a business-related function, such as placing an order, complaining about a delivery, etc. |
Understanding the Task
To understand better how candidates need to approach this task, it may help you to do the activity yourself, and analyse what you had to do to choose the right answer.
Look at these examples – which are at about Level 3 – together with the relevant parts of the tapescript. Complete the task, thinking about how you are doing it.
Sample Part 3 Task
Tapescript
Answers
Things to consider
Now look at these questions about how you approached the task and consider your answers.
- Is it possible to choose the right answer without reading the rubric?
- Does hearing the same word in a monologue as in an option help with finding the right answer?
- Can more than one monologue have the same answer?
- Can the right answer be an option which is only partly correct?
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