B1 Preliminary Listening: How to Solve Part 1 Multiple Choice with Pictures 🎧
Welcome, my lovely students! 💙 In this lesson, we are going to train Part 1 of the Cambridge B1 Preliminary Listening paper. This is the picture-based task: you listen to short recordings and choose the correct picture: A, B or C.
Official exam overview
| Exam | Level | Listening parts | Approx. duration | Audio repetition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 Preliminary | B1 | 4 parts | Approximately 35 minutes, including 6 minutes to transfer answers | Each piece is heard twice |
Important exam instructions
- You must answer all the questions.
- While listening, you write your answers on the question paper.
- At the end, you have 6 minutes to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet.
- You must use a pencil on the answer sheet.
- Each question carries one mark.
Teacher tip 💡: The pictures help you, but they can also distract you. Always listen for the exact detail in the question, not only for a familiar word.
What does Cambridge really test in B1 Listening Part 1?
In Part 1, Cambridge tests whether you can understand short everyday conversations and connect what you hear with the correct picture. You need to listen for specific information: objects, reasons, activities, prices, family plans and TV programmes. 🎯
Specific information
What exactly did someone buy, do, choose or see?
Visual detail
You compare three images and choose the one that matches the audio.
Everyday topics
Shopping, weather, activities, food, prices, family plans and TV.
Distractors
Wrong pictures may be mentioned, but later rejected or corrected.
B1 Preliminary Listening: the 4 parts
| Part | Task type | Questions | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Multiple choice with pictures | 1–7 | Specific information in everyday situations |
| Part 2 | Multiple choice | 8–13 | Opinion, feeling, agreement, reason and final meaning |
| Part 3 | Gap fill | 14–19 | Listening for specific words, numbers, dates or short phrases |
| Part 4 | Multiple choice | 20–25 | Detailed understanding in an interview |
In this lesson, we are focusing on Part 1: seven questions, each with three pictures: A, B or C.
Before, During and After Listening 🧠
In Part 1, the pictures are your map. Before the audio starts, look carefully at the difference between A, B and C. That difference tells you what detail you need to listen for.
Before listening
- Read the question carefully.
- Look at the three pictures.
- Name each picture in English.
- Identify the difference between A, B and C.
First listening
- Listen for the general situation.
- Mark a possible answer.
- Do not choose only because one picture is mentioned.
- Keep listening until the end.
Second listening
- Confirm your answer.
- Check if the speaker changed their mind.
- Listen for contrast words.
- Correct your answer if needed.
Mini example
Question: What did the girl buy on her shopping trip?
The pictures show a shelf, a lamp and a cushion. Before listening, prepare those three words in your mind. Then listen carefully: maybe the speaker mentions all three, but only one was actually bought.
The Keyword Trap: the first picture mentioned is not always correct
In Part 1, Cambridge may mention two or even three pictures in the same recording. The correct answer is not always the first thing you hear. You must listen for the final decision or the real reason.
Example
Question: What activity does the woman want to book for the weekend?
Audio-style sentence: “I thought about cycling, but the weather might be bad. The boat trip is full, so I’ll book the driving experience instead.”
Correct meaning: Cycling and sailing are mentioned, but the activity she wants to book is the driving experience.
How the trap works
| What students hear | What they choose too quickly | What they should check |
|---|---|---|
| “I liked the lamp...” | The lamp | Did she buy it, or only like it? |
| “It was windy, but that wasn’t the problem...” | Wind | What was the real reason for the delay? |
| “The chocolate cake looked nice, but...” | Chocolate cake | What cake does she finally order? |
Teacher tip 💡: Never stop listening when you hear a familiar word. Wait for the complete idea.
The audio may not use the exact words from the picture
In B1 Part 1, you must connect pictures with meaning. The speaker may not say the exact word you expect. For example, instead of saying “cushion”, they may say “something for the sofa”.
| Picture / idea | Audio may say | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Shelf | bookcase, small unit, something to put books on | Furniture for storing things |
| Lamp | light, desk light, something for reading at night | An object that gives light |
| Cushion | pillow, something for the sofa, soft square thing | Soft decoration for a chair or sofa |
| Plane delay | left late, took off late, delayed flight | The plane did not leave on time |
| Rain | heavy showers, wet weather, storm | Bad weather with water |
| Sailing | boat trip, going on the lake, water activity | Activity on water |
| Cooking programme | chef, recipe, kitchen show, cookery programme | A programme about preparing food |
Before listening, name each picture in simple English. Then think: “How could someone say this in another way?” 🌟
B1 Listening Part 1 Strategy: Multiple Choice with Pictures
In the official sample paper, Part 1 includes seven picture-based questions. You hear short recordings and choose the picture that answers the question: A, B or C.
Official Part 1 task focus
- Questions: 1–7.
- Task type: multiple choice with pictures.
- Options: A, B or C.
- Topics: shopping, travel, weekend activities, cakes, prices, family activities and TV programmes.
- Skill: listening for specific information and matching it to the correct image.
Step-by-step strategy
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the question first. | It tells you exactly what information to listen for. |
| 2 | Look at the three pictures carefully. | You need to know the difference between A, B and C before listening. |
| 3 | Name each picture in English. | This activates the vocabulary you may hear. |
| 4 | Listen for the complete meaning. | The speaker may mention wrong options before the correct one. |
| 5 | Pay attention to changes. | Words like “but”, “instead” and “actually” can change the answer. |
| 6 | Use the second listening to confirm. | The second listening is your chance to check the real answer. |
| 7 | Do not leave blanks. | Each question gives one mark, so every answer is an opportunity. |
Teacher tip 💡: Your mental formula for Part 1 is: question + picture difference + final audio meaning.
Common mistakes Spanish speakers make in B1 Part 1
In Part 1, many students lose marks not because the audio is impossible, but because they react too quickly. Let’s avoid the most common traps. 💪
| Mistake | Why it happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the first picture mentioned | The first familiar word feels correct. | Listen until the end before deciding. |
| Not naming the pictures before listening | You do not prepare useful vocabulary. | Quickly name A, B and C in English before the audio starts. |
| Translating everything into Spanish | Your brain becomes too slow. | Focus on the key detail, not every sentence. |
| Missing contrast words | You stop listening after the first idea. | Pay attention after “but”, “actually”, “instead” and “no”. |
| Confusing similar pictures | The options look close in meaning. | Look for the exact difference: object, weather, activity, price or programme. |
| Ignoring the question | You only look at the pictures. | Read carefully: “What did she buy?”, “Why was it late?”, “Which is first?” |
Useful vocabulary for B1 Listening Part 1
The official Part 1 includes everyday visual topics: furniture, weather, activities, cakes, prices, family activities and TV programmes. This vocabulary will help you recognise the correct picture faster.
| Category | Useful words and phrases | What it may help you identify | Example meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopping | shelf, lamp, cushion, buy, choose, look for | What someone bought | “I got something for the sofa” may mean cushion. |
| Weather | windy, snow, rain, storm, bad weather, delayed | Why a plane left late | “Strong winds” may explain a delay. |
| Activities | cycling, driving, sailing, book, weekend, available | Which activity someone wants | “The boat trip is full” may reject sailing. |
| Food | cake, chocolate, fruit, lemon, order, slice | Which cake someone chooses | “I’ll have the one with fruit on top” identifies the picture. |
| Prices | spend, free gift, receipt, pounds, at least, over | How much customers must spend | “You need to spend over £20” points to the correct amount. |
| Family activities | museum, aquarium, cinema, theatre, on Sunday | What a family did | “We saw fish and sea animals” may mean aquarium. |
| TV programmes | dancing, quiz show, cooking show, chef, programme, first | Which programme is on first | “Before the quiz, there’s a cooking programme” means cooking is first. |
Teacher tip 💡: Practise naming everyday pictures in English. The faster you recognise the image, the easier the listening becomes.
How to train B1 Listening Part 1 every day
Part 1 improves when you train your eyes and ears together. You need to look at the pictures quickly, predict the vocabulary and listen for the detail that answers the question.
Daily 15-minute routine
- Look at three pictures and name them in English.
- Listen to a short everyday conversation.
- Choose the picture that matches the final meaning.
- Listen again and write the key words you heard.
- Check if there was a distractor.
- Repeat two useful sentences out loud.
Final Part 1 checklist
Before the audio starts
- Read the question.
- Look at A, B and C.
- Name each picture.
- Find the difference between the pictures.
While listening
- Listen for complete meaning.
- Do not choose too early.
- Notice contrast words.
- Mark a possible answer.
After listening
- Use the second listening to confirm.
- Check the final decision.
- Eliminate wrong pictures.
- Transfer answers carefully.
Practise with Intellego 🎧
You can also train this skill with Intellego: listen, type what you hear and get instant correction. It is perfect for building real listening accuracy, and you can find the free version here:
Try Intellego for freeNeed personalised help with Cambridge B1 Listening?
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B1 Listening Part 1 - Questions 1 to 4
Questions 1 – 7
For each question, choose the correct answer.
What did the girl buy on her shopping trip?
Question 2
Why did the plane leave late?
Question 3
What activity does the woman want to book for the weekend?
Question 4
Which cake will the girl order?
Question 5
How much must customers spend to get a free gift?
Question 6
What did the family do on Sunday?
Question 7
Which programme is on first?