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Cambridge IELTS 21 Listening Test 4

Take Book 21 Test 4 online with the audio, free. Then see where real students lost their marks, part by part, and the traps that caught them.

There are no answers on this page, so you can read it before you take the test.

Take the full test free, with audio See where students lose marks
  • Questions40
  • Parts4
  • DifficultyMedium, with a hard Part 4
  • Average score26 / 40 · Band 6.0

Cambridge 21 Listening Test 4 at a glance

Parts 1 and 2 are friendly, but most people drop marks in the second half. Part 3 has two long matching sets, and the Part 4 lecture is where the average score falls furthest.

PartSituationQuestion typeQuestionsAvg. correct
1Street survey about shoppingNote completionONE WORD ONLY1–107.6of 10
2Podcast about a business exhibitionChoose TWO (two sets)Letters A–EMatching: speaker to topicLetters A–G11–206.7of 10
3Two architecture students plan a presentationMultiple choiceA, B or CMatching: idea to opinionLetters A–I21–306.0of 10
4Lecture: music and recovery after surgeryNote completionONE WORD ONLY31–405.5of 10

How students did on this test

These figures come from complete attempts on IELTSNexa up to 2026-10-22, not from the book. The average was 26 out of 40, which is Band 6.0. The average drops in every part, and the Part 4 lecture is where students lose the most marks.

  • 26/40Average score
  • 6.0Average band
  • Part 4Hardest part
Part 17.6
Part 26.7
Part 36.0
Part 45.5
Average correct answers per part, out of 10

Source: IELTSNexa student attempts, up to 2026-10-22

Part by part: what it is about and where marks go

For each part: what the recording is about, the question types, and how many students got each question right. Tap a bar for the details. The recordings, question papers and answers are only inside the test.

Part 1

Street survey about shopping

Questions 1–10 · Average 7.6 of 10

An interviewer stops a man in the town centre and asks about his shopping. He explains how he got into town and what he is there to do, then gives his opinion of the local shops and a new out-of-town shopping centre.

% of students who got each question right
Note completion 76% This test · 67% All Cambridge tests

Question 3Note completion · ONE WORD ONLY

58% got it right

The hardest question in Part 1. 9 points below the average for gap-fill questions.

  • This test
  • Under 50% correct
  • Average for this question type across all Cambridge tests on IELTSNexa
Watch for

The answers come in the same order as the notes, but he often mentions something else first. He says what he usually does before saying what he did today, and he names one place before the one he actually visited. In the second half, one answer is said by the interviewer and he only agrees with it. Spelling counts from question 1.

Practise Part 1 only →
Part 2

Podcast about a business exhibition

Questions 11–20 · Average 6.7 of 10

A presenter promotes a big annual business exhibition in London. A company director looks back on two years as an exhibitor, and then the presenter runs through what exhibitors get and introduces six keynote speakers.

% of students who got each question right
Choose TWO (two sets) 68% This test · 67% All Cambridge tests
Matching: speaker to topic 67% This test · 63% All Cambridge tests

Question 19Matching: speaker to topic · Letters A–G

51% got it right

The hardest question in Part 2. 12 points below the average for matching questions.

  • This test
  • Under 50% correct
  • Average for this question type across all Cambridge tests on IELTSNexa
Watch for

For the choose-two sets, the director mentions more areas of the exhibition than the question asks about, and they come from different years. Check which year each one belongs to. For the speakers, each introduction starts with the person’s life story, and the topic of their talk only comes at the end.

Practise Part 2 only →
Part 3

Two architecture students plan a presentation

Questions 21–30 · Average 6.0 of 10

Two students plan a joint presentation on homes of the future. They settle what worries them, which group of people to focus on and how cities should meet the demand for housing, and then give their opinion on seven ideas.

% of students who got each question right
Multiple choice 58% This test · 64% All Cambridge tests
Matching: idea to opinion 60% This test · 63% All Cambridge tests

Question 22Multiple choice · A, B or C

40% got it right

The hardest question in Part 3. 24 points below the average for multiple-choice questions.

Why people miss it →
  • This test
  • Under 50% correct
  • Average for this question type across all Cambridge tests on IELTSNexa
Watch for

They suggest several ideas, turn some down, and sometimes go back to one they mentioned earlier. Wait for the moment they actually decide. In the matching set there are nine opinions for seven ideas. Agreeing words (“yes”, “that’s true”) are often followed by a reservation, and the reservation is what you match.

Practise Part 3 only →
Part 4

Lecture: music and recovery after surgery

Questions 31–40 · Average 5.5 of 10

A lecturer tells medical students about a large review of research on playing music to patients after surgery. It covers why recovery is hard, how the music was delivered, what changed for patients and what the researchers recommend next.

% of students who got each question right
Note completion 55% This test · 67% All Cambridge tests

Question 37Note completion · ONE WORD ONLY

30% got it right

The hardest question in Part 4. 37 points below the average for gap-fill questions.

Why people miss it →
  • This test
  • Under 50% correct
  • Average for this question type across all Cambridge tests on IELTSNexa
Watch for

The ten gaps come one after another with no pause. Several sentences say something general first, then turn with “however”, “though”, “although” or “but”, and the answer is in the part after the turn. Watch word form: some gaps need an adjective, some a plural noun.

Practise Part 4 only →

The 3 questions most students miss, and the traps behind them

Ranked by how few students got them right. Each note explains how the question catches people without giving away the answer, so you can still use it as practice.

1Question 37Part 430% got it right

One sentence mentions two states a patient can be in, joined by “although”. Most people write the first one they hear. The note asks when the effect was stronger, and that comes after the contrast word.

The trap

The answer comes after “however”

A sentence says something general, then turns with “however”, “though”, “although” or “but”. The words before the turn fit the gap, which is why they catch people. The answer is after the turn.

On IELTSNexa Learn: Level 22, “কিন্তু, আসলে, however” (trap #19) (in Bangla) →
2Question 34Part 437% got it right

Two ways of delivering the music are described. The first gets the detail and sounds like the answer; then “more often, though” names the method used most. Many people who heard the right word still lost the mark: the gap needs it in the plural.

The trap

Right word, wrong form

You hear the right word but write it in the wrong form: singular when the answer is plural, or a noun where the gap needs an adjective. Read the words around the gap to see which form fits.

On this test, about 1 in 24 wrong written answers was the right word in the wrong form.

On IELTSNexa Learn: Level 18, “ছোট ভুলে বড় ক্ষতি” (trap #16) (in Bangla) →
3Question 22Part 340% got it right

Several groups of people are suggested. One is ruled out because another student has it, and one comes with a strong reason (“likely to become more important”), so many people pick it. Then the other student goes back to an earlier suggestion and they settle it. Listen for the decision, not the strongest argument.

The trap

They change their minds

A speaker says one thing, then corrects it: what he usually does, then what he did today; a group they could focus on, then the one they choose. The first thing you hear is not always the answer.

On IELTSNexa Learn: Level 1, “IELTS-এর চার দরজা” (trap #1) (in Bangla) →

Learn to beat these traps

IELTSNexa Learn teaches 61 exam traps in short lessons with audio, one trap in each lesson. Start free, no account needed for the first lessons.

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Explanation cards

Understand the reasoning behind every question

A score tells you what you got wrong. IELTSNexa shows you why. After you submit, each question opens an explanation card that takes you to the exact moment in the recording, explains why the answer is right, and shows the reasoning that made the wrong answer feel right.

  • The exact line in the recording, with the timestamp
  • Why the right answer is right
  • Why the trap answer was tempting
Start Cambridge 21 Test 4

Explanation cards come with an IELTSNexa pass. The test, your score and the answer key are free.

Words students misspelled on this test

On this test, about 1 in 12 wrong written answers was the right word, misspelled. The student heard it and still lost the mark. Here are some of the words behind them.

  • motorbike

    Written asmotobikemotor bikemortobikemoter bike

    One word, no space and no hyphen.

  • hairdresser

    Written ashair dresserhair-dresser

    One word. “hair dresser” is marked wrong.

  • coffee

    Written ascaffeecofeecoffe

    Double f, double e.

  • cinema

    Written ascenemasinema

    Starts with c, not s, and the middle vowel is i.

  • anxiety

    Written asanxityaxiety

    Keep both the e and the i: anx-i-e-ty.

  • distraction

    Written asdistructiondestruction

    dis-TRAC-tion: the middle is “trac”, not “truc”. It is not “destruction”.

Useful vocabulary from this test

Words and phrases you will hear in the recordings, with our own explanations and example sentences.

WordMeaning and example
out-of-townadjectivebuilt on the edge of a town rather than in the centre, usually with a big car parkMany people now drive to out-of-town retail parks instead of the high street.
ready for collectionphraserepaired or prepared and waiting for you to pick it upThe repair shop texted to say my phone is ready for collection.
exhibitornouna company or person that has a stand at an exhibitionEvery exhibitor gets two free passes for staff.
keynote speakernounthe main, most important speaker at a conference or eventThe keynote speaker opened the conference with a talk on start-ups.
raise your profilephrasemake more people notice and know about you or your companySponsoring the event raised the firm’s profile among investors.
accommodationnouna place to live or stay. Spelled with double c and double m, a very common spelling mistake.Student accommodation near the university is expensive.
communaladjectiveshared by everyone in a group or buildingThe flats share a communal laundry room on the ground floor.
pedestrianisedadjectiveclosed to cars so that only people on foot can use itThe old market street was pedestrianised last year.
post-operativeadjectivehappening in the period after a surgical operationPost-operative care includes regular checks by nurses.
physiotherapynountreatment with exercise and massage to help the body recover movementAfter the knee operation she needed six weeks of physiotherapy.
audibleadjectiveloud enough to be heardThe announcement was barely audible over the noise of the crowd.
wardnouna room or section in a hospital where patients stayHe was moved back to the ward an hour after surgery.

From raw score to band

Each correct answer is one mark out of 40. This is the conversion IELTSNexa uses to score this test. You can also try the band score calculator.

Correct answersBand
39–409.0
37–388.5
35–368.0
33–347.5
30–327.0
27–296.5
23–266.0Average on this test
20–225.5
16–195.0
13–154.5
10–124.0

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Frequently asked questions

Is Cambridge 21 Listening Test 4 hard?
It is a medium test with a hard ending. Across the full attempts on IELTSNexa, students averaged about 26 out of 40. Most of the lost marks are in Parts 3 and 4, and the Part 4 lecture has the lowest average.
Can I take Cambridge 21 Listening Test 4 online with audio?
Yes. IELTSNexa runs the full test free in a computer-delivered layout, with the audio, the timer and automatic scoring. You need a free account so your score and answers are saved.
Where can I find the answers for Cambridge 21 Listening Test 4?
We do not publish the answer key on this page, so it cannot spoil the test. After you submit on IELTSNexa you see your score and the answer key straight away. Detailed explanation cards, which show why each answer is right and where it is in the recording, come with an IELTSNexa pass.
How long does Cambridge 21 Listening Test 4 take?
About 30 minutes of audio for 40 questions in four parts, with short reading pauses before each section. You can also practise one part at a time.
What band is 26 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
26 correct answers is Band 6.0 on the Listening conversion table. Band 7.0 needs 30 correct, and Band 8.0 needs 35.
Is Cambridge 21 Listening the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes. Academic and General Training candidates take the same Listening test, so this test is good practice for both.

More Listening practice

Last updated 2026-10-22. IELTSNexa is not affiliated with Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Cambridge IELTS 21 is their publication; this page is our own independent analysis.