Navigate the 2027–2029 Listening paper
Prepare for five exercises and 40 multiple-choice questions, including the answer-transfer period.
Exam scope and assessment notes
These are original StudyForA examples and practice, not Cambridge questions, recordings, mark schemes or grades. Review by a qualified Hindi teacher is pending; Hindi-language accuracy and naturalness must be checked before this material is described as publication-ready. Browser speech synthesis is supplemental only, not Cambridge audio: the voice and pronunciation may vary and do not simulate the exam recordings. Writing and speaking feedback is self-review, not official assessment; StudyForA does not award the Cambridge speaking endorsement.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
What clues can reveal that a speaker has changed an earlier plan?
What you will learn
- Recognise five current Listening exercise formats.
- Use repeated listening to verify meaning rather than keyword-match.
- Understand the approximate duration and six-minute transfer period.
Know the five exercise types
Paper 2 is worth 40 marks and lasts approximately 60 minutes including six minutes to transfer answers. All 40 questions are multiple choice and every recording is heard twice.
The exercises include visual options for short extracts, two questions for each of five short extracts, sentence choices after a monologue, matching across six monologues, and questions on a longer conversation.
Choose by meaning
Read the options before listening and identify what differs between them. A repeated word can be a distractor if the speaker rejects or changes it.
StudyForA’s synthesized practice voice is supplemental. Use official Cambridge audio and the centre’s directions to prepare for the real assessment.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE Hindi as a Second Language 0549 subject page
- 0549 syllabus for exams in 2023–2025
- 0549 syllabus update for exams in 2023–2025
- 0549 syllabus for exams in 2026 · Version 2
- 0549 syllabus update for exams in 2026
- 0549 syllabus for exams in 2027–2029 · Version 2
- 0549 syllabus update for exams in 2027–2029
Pause and explain
How many questions are in the revised Listening paper?
Worked example
Script: «मैंने पहले शनिवार चुना था, लेकिन अब रविवार को आऊँगा क्योंकि शनिवार को मेरी परीक्षा है।» Which day will the speaker attend?
Show the worked solution
- Find the revision after «लेकिन».
- Use the stated reason as a check.
- Select the final day, not the first choice.
Answer The speaker will attend on Sunday. Saturday was the earlier choice and conflicts with an exam.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
A short extract says: «डाकघर सात बजे खुलेगा, बैंक नौ बजे खुलेगा।» Which place opens at nine?
Give me a hint
Keep each time linked to its place.
Compare my reasoning
- Identify both places.
- Match each opening time.
- Answer with the place linked to nine.
The bank opens at nine; the post office opens at seven.
Look for these in your work
- Matches the detail correctly
- Avoids switching places
- Answers directly
In a six-speaker matching task, each person discusses a school subject. What evidence should you note before matching statements?
Give me a hint
Capture each person’s view and distinguishing reason.
Compare my reasoning
- Write one short note for each speaker.
- Include an attitude or reason where stated.
- Match the idea, even if the wording differs.
Note each speaker’s subject and reason or attitude, then match statements by meaning rather than identical words.
Look for these in your work
- Distinguishes speakers
- Tracks viewpoints
- Uses paraphrase evidence
A longer conversation mentions a proposed event date, a later correction and a reason for the change. How do you identify the final plan?
Give me a hint
Track the correction and confirm it with the reason.
Compare my reasoning
- Record the first date.
- Listen for the correction signal.
- Choose the revised date that fits the speaker’s reason.
Use the revised date after the correction signal, then verify it against the reason the speaker gives.
Look for these in your work
- Tracks chronology
- Uses the final decision
- Checks with supporting evidence
Common mistakes
- Selecting the first date before hearing a change
- Choosing an option based on a shared keyword alone
- Ignoring the transfer time in a timed practice plan
What can you explain now?
How many questions are in the revised Listening paper?
Compare with the explanation
40
The 2027–2029 paper has 40 multiple-choice questions.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
Explain one decision that helped you: recognise five current listening exercise formats.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.