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Part 4 — Short Talks

What this part tests

Part 4 is like Part 3, but each item is a monologue — a single speaker giving a short talk — rather than a conversation. You hear the talk once and answer three questions, each with four answer choices (A–D) in the test booklet.

The test has 10 talks, giving 30 questions in total.

Talk types include: announcements, advertisements, voicemail messages, news reports, traffic and weather reports, recorded information messages, and workplace presentations.

What the questions look like

A radio traffic announcement might be followed by:

Where is the traffic jam located? What does the speaker suggest listeners do? What time will normal traffic resume?

Core strategies

1. Pre-read all three questions before the talk begins — without exception.

Pre-reading is even more important in Part 4 than in Part 3, because you are listening to one voice for a longer stretch. Without knowing what to listen for, a 60–80 word monologue can blur together. With three clear questions in mind, the same monologue becomes a search task with known targets.

2. Identify the talk type immediately.

The opening sentence almost always signals what kind of talk it is:

  • "Welcome, passengers. Your attention, please…" → public announcement
  • "You've reached the office of…" → voicemail or auto-message
  • "Today's special offers include…" → advertisement
  • "Reporting live from downtown…" → news segment
  • "Our next speaker this morning…" → conference or event introduction

Once you know the type, you know the typical structure — and what kinds of information are likely to appear where.

3. Listen for the talk's structure: purpose, details, action.

Most short talks follow a predictable arc:

  • Purpose or setting — what the talk is about
  • Key details — specific information (names, numbers, dates, places)
  • Call to action or closing — what the listener should do, or what will happen next

Questions 1, 2, and 3 typically map to these three zones. Use this map to stay oriented and to know when important information is coming.

4. For graphic-prompt questions, study the graphic before the audio.

Like Part 3, some Part 4 items include a schedule, chart, map, or menu. Study the graphic and its labels fully before the talk begins. During the talk, your job is to match what you hear to one specific cell or item in the graphic.

5. Manage the gap between talks.

There are natural pauses between talks. Use this time to finish marking your answers for the current talk and immediately pre-read the three questions for the next one. Never let a gap go unused.

Most common traps

  • Numbers and specifics close together. Talks often mention multiple numbers — a time, a date, a price, a room number. Wrong answer choices deliberately confuse them. Note which number answers which question as you pre-read.
  • The implied detail. A question might ask what the speaker implies or suggests. The answer will not be stated explicitly — it will be inferable from what was said. For example, a speaker saying "Unfortunately, we had to move the event indoors" implies the original plan was outdoors, even though that was never directly stated.
  • The purpose vs. the content. A question asking "What is the purpose of this announcement?" is different from "What information is given in the announcement?" Purpose is about why the talk exists; content is about what was said. Keep these distinct.
  • Outdated or irrelevant details. Talks sometimes mention something that has changed: "The north entrance is under renovation, so please use the south entrance." A question might ask which entrance to use. Listeners who grab the first entrance mentioned will choose wrong.

Talk types to know well

  • Voicemail messages: who is calling, why, and what they want the listener to do
  • Advertisements: what product or service, special offers, how to act on them
  • News and weather reports: main story or forecast, relevant numbers, advice to the listener
  • Announcements (airports, trains, offices): location/direction, time-sensitive info, instructions
  • Introductions: who is being introduced, their credentials, what they will speak about
  • Workplace notices: policy or schedule changes, who is affected, what action is needed