PET Listening
Get ready to pass your PET listening
Many doors will open for you if you have a B1 level of English. This is usually the prerequisite for working or studying in an English-speaking country. That’s why, among the many certificates Cambridge awards, the PET (or B1 Preliminary) is undoubtedly one of the most popular.
The PET certificate is made up of four tests to evaluate your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
This article will tell you all about the PET listening test. We’ll give you general information, recommendations, and resources to help you prepare for the PET listening test and improve your skills.
What does the listening in PET involve?
For the PET listening test, you’ll receive a question paper and an answer sheet. You’ll be given auditory instructions about how to take the test, which you can follow along with in the question paper.
The test is divided into 4 parts and has a total of 25 questions to be answered in 30 minutes. Each audio will be played twice.
In the first and second parts, you’ll hear several short audios and will have to answer one multiple-choice question for each. In the first part, you’ll choose the image that best answers the question from a total of three. In the second part, you have to choose the sentence that best describes the situation in the audio.
In the third part, a single audio about a longer situation is given – like details about a trip someone took – and you’ll have to fill in the blanks with one or more words to complete a sentence.
In the last part, you’ll have a longer audio with several questions about it. You have to choose the correct answer from the three that are presented to you in the audio. The order of the questions matches the order in which the information is given by the audio.
Some tips to prepare your PET listening exam
By following these tips, you’ll feel much more confident about taking the PET listening test.
1. Learn to recognize accents and intonations
Take control of your TV and switch the audio option to the original language to watch your favorite TV shows and movies in English. This will help you get used to the different native accents, which will certainly help you improve your PET listening skills.
2. Be prepared!
There is some vocabulary and grammar that you should study, based on the characteristics of PET listening. First, focus on English for simple, everyday situations that describe your routine. Then look for exercises and content on travel, education, and work since these are recurring themes.
3. Train your ear
Keep listening to those songs in English that you like so much, but try to follow along with the lyrics to know what they’re saying. There are some songs that, if you can finally understand them, no PET listening will be able to get the better of you.
Don’t give it another thought! Improve your listening now and pass the PET with ABA English
FAQs about listening for PET
How is the listening for the PET scored?
Each question is worth 1 point. This means that if you have all the right answers, you’ll get 25 points. The listening test accounts for 25% of the whole exam since all four tests carry the same weight.
Can I use previous tests to prepare for the exam?
On the Cambridge website, you’ll find a sample version to help you familiarize yourself with the PET listening exercises that were used in previous versions.
Can I take only the listening part of the PET?
With a certificate like the PET, this isn’t possible. If you take this exam, you’ll be evaluated on all skills. There are other certificates, such as Aptis, that allow you to make this type of selection. It will depend on what you need to certify.
Discover some ABA English resources for improving your listening
Speaking Sessions
We’ll provide you with access to live conversations with native teachers and other students. These are a great opportunity to get PET listening practice while you speak, in a guided manner, about a variety of topics such as cooking, sports, music, literature, travel, art, business, and more.
ABA Films
These short films are the starting point for our complete online course. They represent real-life situations and will allow you to recognize and understand the different accents in English and familiarize yourself with a series of everyday expressions. Just what you need for PET listening!
Diverse content
Take advantage of those trips in your car or on public transport to improve your listening. You can do this by listening to the podcasts, interviews in English, or videos that ABA English updates for you and that cater to your tastes.
Planning
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Discipline and constancy are, in this case, stronger than any stone. That’s why the Daily Plan in our app offers you study routines according to your time, interests, and level.
Why should you choose ABA English?
Many people know English, but we’re sure that you learn better when the method is tailored to you and not the other way around. Our innovative and revolutionary Smart Learning® method is the result of this learning, built on experience. Did you know that we already have more than 30 million students?
Smart Learning® is a personalized learning experience that starts with your tastes, rhythms, needs, and interests to offer you a variety of content such as videos, podcasts, articles, interviews, music, and other formats that fit your learning style.
As a result, your listening will be honed while you improve your grammar, vocabulary, and the other skills needed to pass the PET listening exam.
