Cambridge Examinations for Young Learners: Listening

The Listening paper is one of three parts of the A1 Movers exam. It lasts about 25 minutes and includes five parts, with a total of 25 questions. Children hear each recording twice and respond to different types of tasks that test their ability to understand spoken English in everyday situations.

Each part begins with an example, and the recordings feature familiar topics like school, family, animals, and hobbies. The tasks include matching, colouring, writing, and choosing correct pictures.

Part 1

In Part 1, children see a big picture showing several people doing different things. Above and below the picture are names. They listen to a conversation between an adult and a child and must draw lines from each name to the correct person in the picture.

Listen here.

✅ Tips for Success

This part tests listening for names and descriptions: such as clothing, actions, or positions.
Listen carefully to all the clues: Don’t draw a line too quickly — wait until you hear everything about the person.
Look at what each person is doing and wearing: Actions and clothes help you find the right person.
Remember: one name won’t be used. There are more names than people to match, so one name is extra.

Transcript

Narrator: Hello. This is the Cambridge English Movers Listening sample test. Look at Part 1. Now look at the picture. Listen and look. There is one example.

Example: Adult: Can you see Emma? Child: Is she the one petting the dog? Adult: Yes! She’s kneeling down and giving the dog a cuddle. Child: Oh, yes what a nice dog.

Narrator: Can you see the line? This is an example. Now you listen and draw lines.

Narrator: One.

Adult: Where’s Lisa in the picture? Child: She’s sitting on the swing hanging from the tree. Adult: That’s right — she’s wearing a purple shirt and looks happy.

Narrator: Two.

Adult: What’s Ben doing? Child: He’s running after the football near the swing. Adult: Yes, and he has a green shirt and blue shorts on.

Narrator: Three.

Adult: Can you spot Jack? Child: He’s standing in the middle, isn’t he? Adult: That’s him — wearing an orange and white striped shirt and green shorts.

Narrator: Now listen again.

Narrator: That is the end of Part 1.

Part 2

In Part 2, children listen to a short conversation between two people — usually a child and an adult — and complete a form or notes by writing words or numbers. There are five questions, and each answer is written next to a short prompt. This part tests the ability to listen for specific information, such as names, places, times, numbers, and simple vocabulary.

Children hear the recording twice, and there is always one example at the beginning.

Listen here.

Example: Where did Grandma work? → City Hospital

What did Grandma wash in the morning? → _______________
How many days did she work each week? → _______________
What colour was her dress? → _______________
What did Grandma have at work? → _______________
Who was the hospital for? → _______________

✅ Tips for Success

Read the questions before listening This helps children know what to listen for.
Listen for key words and numbers Answers are usually short and clear.
Check spelling carefully Some misspellings are allowed, but it’s best to be accurate.

TRANSCRIPT

Narrator: Part 2. Listen and look. There is one example.

Child: Grandma, I’ve always wondered — where did you work before you retired? Grandmother: I worked as a nurse at City Hospital. Child: That sounds important.

Narrator: Can you see the answer? Now you listen and write.

Narrator: One. Child: What sort of things did you do in the mornings? Grandmother: Well, I used to wash the floors in the patient rooms. They had to be spotless.

Narrator: Two. Child: How many days a week did you do that? Grandmother: Four days each week — Mondays to Thursdays. It was quite tiring.

Narrator: Three. Child: What did you wear to work? Grandmother: We all wore blue dresses. It was part of the uniform.

Narrator: Four. Child: Did you enjoy working there? Grandmother: I did. I made many friends during my time at the hospital.

Narrator: Five. Child: And who were the patients at the hospital? Grandmother: The hospital was only for women who needed special care.

Narrator: Now listen again.

Narrator: That is the end of part 2.

Part 3

In this section of the test, children listen to a conversation between two speakers—often a child and an adult—discussing people and objects in a picture. The task involves matching six names to six objects based on the details in the recording. Test-takers need to pay close attention to clues like location, appearance, and actions to figure out who owns which item. It’s a fun way to practice listening for specific information, sharpen observation skills, and boost memory through real-life context.

Listen to the conversation between Emma and her teacher, Mr. Taylor. Mr. Taylor is helping Emma find different items people have lost in the school playground. Look at the picture and listen carefully. You will hear people talking about which item belongs to which person.

Listen here.

✅ Tips for Success

Listen for Location Clues; Objects are often described in relation to places—like 'near the slide' or 'on the bench.' Encourage kids to focus on where the item was left or found. These clues are golden for matching the right person to the object.
The children’s names often appear with clues about what they like or were doing. For example, 'Lucy loves her teddy bear' or 'Ben was playing football.' Listening for personality or actions helps link people to their lost items.
Even though they can’t write during the audio, kids can mentally note key details—like the color of an item or what someone was wearing. Practicing with visual memory games can sharpen this skill and make real exam situations easier.

Transcript

Narrator: Part 3. Listen and look. There is one example. Example.

Teacher: Hello Emma, do you know whose things these are? Emma: I think so. Sarah was skipping, but then she dropped something. Teacher: What was it? Emma: Her green backpack! It fell near the swing.

Narrator: Can you see the letter A? Now you listen and write a letter in each box.

Narrator: One: Teacher: What about Tom? Emma: He always brings a water bottle, but he left it on the bench. That blue one with the stripes.

Narrator: Two. Teacher: And Lucy? Emma: Lucy loves her teddy bear. She left it behind when she went down the slide. It’s on the grass near it.

Narrator: Three. Teacher: Ben was playing football earlier. Emma: Yes, but he forgot his sunglasses. He put them down near the goal post.

Narrator: Four. Teacher: Mia was sitting under the tree. Emma: That’s right! She had her tiger lunchbox with her, but now it’s still there on the picnic table.

Narrator: Five. Teacher: Alex likes reading, doesn’t he? Emma: Yes! He was wearing his blue jacket, but left it on the seesaw when he went to read.

Narrator: Now listen again. That is the end of Part 3.

Part 4

Part 4 tests young learners’ ability to understand a short conversation and choose the right picture based on what they hear. They listen to four mini-dialogues, each followed by a question. For each one, they choose the correct picture—A, B, or C. This section helps children practice listening for detail, identifying specific facts, and connecting spoken information to visual cues.

Listen to each question. Look at the three pictures. Choose the picture that matches what the speaker says.

Example: What is Emma doing today?

1. What is Ben eating?

2. What did Sarah draw?

3. Where did Tom leave his jacket?

Listen here.

✅ Tips for Success

Listen Twice if Possible: Encourage kids to focus on keywords in the first listen, then confirm their choice in the second.
Rule Out Wrong Answers: The recording often mentions the incorrect options. Teach students to eliminate choices confidently.
Connect Words to Images: Practice linking spoken vocabulary to visual clues—what does “drawing a dragon” really look like?

Transcript

Narrator: Part 4. Look at the pictures. Listen and look. There is one example. Example.

What is Emma doing today? Adult 1: What’s Emma doing today? Adult 2: She didn’t want to ride her bike or read. Adult 1: She usually loves cycling. Did something change? Adult 2: Yes, she’s painting something special for her grandma’s birthday.

Narrator: Can you see the tick? Now you listen and tick the box.

Narrator: One. What is Ben eating? Child 1: Did Ben bring his lunchbox today? Child 2: No, he forgot it again. Child 1: That’s the third time this week! Child 2: I know! He’s eating a sandwich from the café—he likes the cheese ones.

Narrator: Two. What did Sarah draw today? Sarah’s Drawing Teacher: What did Sarah draw in art class this morning? Child 2: Not the house or the flower. Teacher: Oh, then maybe something more exciting? Child 2: Yes, she drew a dragon—it had wings and flames. It looked amazing!

Narrator: Three. Where did Tom leave his jacket? Adult 1: Where did Tom leave his jacket? Child 1: Not on the chair or the table. Adult 1: He had it earlier when we arrived. Child 1: I saw it on the sofa when we came in—it’s the blue one with stripes.

Narrator: Now listen to Part 4 again. That is the end of Part 4.

Part 5

In Part 5 of the Cambridge A1 Movers Listening Exam, students are presented with a black-and-white illustration depicting a lively scene such as a park, kitchen, or school. As they listen to a recording, they must carefully follow spoken instructions to colour specific items—like 'Colour the ball red'—and write one or two words on designated objects or people, for instance, 'Write "picnic" on the basket.' This section assesses their comprehension of spoken English, their ability to recognise items within a scene, and their grasp of vocabulary and colour words, all while encouraging attentive listening and precise responses.

Listen, look and colour.

Listen here.

✅ Tips for Success

Know your colours in English. Practice pronouncing them and identifying them quickly.
Practice listening for key words like “next to,” “on,” or “under.” These help you locate things in the picture.
Don’t guess if you miss an instruction—ask your teacher for practice recordings to get confident hearing each part.

Transcript

Narrator: Now let’s do part five. Listen and look at the picture. Example. Can you see the girl playing with a ball? Colour her jumper red. Can you see the red jumper? This is an example.

Now you listen and colour and write.
One: There’s a park with children playing. Can you see the ball on the grass? Colour it blue.
Two: Now find the kite. It’s flying above the tree. Colour the kite yellow.
Three: Look at the bench. A woman is sitting there. Write the word 'mum' on her hat.
Four: Let’s find the tree. Colour the tree brown.
Five: Look at the dog. It’s near the children. Write the word 'happy' next to it.

Now listen again. That is the end of Part 5.

ANSWERS

Part 1