This article will help you answer APTIS listening part III: Opinion Matching questions more effectively.

What is the Aptis listening part 3 like? 

Part 3 of the APTIS Listening is called Opinion Matching. In this task, you will hear a dialogue between a man and a woman, and you will have to decide which of the two (the man or the woman) expresses an opinion.

There are four questions. You will hear a conversation between the man and the woman, and you decide if one of the four statements is the man’s opinion, the woman’s opinion, or both. For further information, please visit British Council website here. 

Example question: Below are the questions with the answers, followed by the tapescript.

Listen to two teachers discussing potential modifications to their language school. Read the statements and decide whose opinion matches the best: the man’s, the woman’s opinion, or both.

 Who expresses which opinion?

Male: Right, so we need to complete these surveys on what we think would really make this place better for learning? What do you think about the state of technology in the school?

Female: Well, I definitely think that that area could be improved on the most. There is no excuse why we shouldn’t have accessible WIFI in all parts of the campus. It is so slow, if you can even connect to the network! Students need it to do research, complete assignments etc.

Male: I see your point, but I don’t know if I feel the same. Don’t you think that they would just use it to check their social media and send messages in class?

Female: I think you need to put a bit more trust your students. On another note, it’s not just the WIFI that needs improvement, we need more classroom technology. Only 2 rooms have projectors and we have to book the room a week in advance! Sometimes, it would just be nice to show a short video clip to reinforce the subject.

Male: Yes, I couldn’t agree more with that! It would also greatly cut down on our planning time too, as we would be able to create slideshows and reuse them semester after semester. And think about all the paper we would save by not having to constantly make photocopies! I think it is in their best interest to invest in more technological devices for classroom use.

Female: Yup, and we may well be moving into that direction. Did you see how the school is starting to advertise online classes. Right now, they only offer two elective classes, but I would be keen on teaching one. I think it would be a great experience and a lot of fun!

Male: I know that online courses are probably the way of the future, but I can’t say I am eager about them in the slightest. I think there are too many technical issues that can go wrong and it would waste a lot of time. I also prefer getting to know my students on a face-to-face basis.

Female: Well, I know I would rather teach online than have to attend the mandatory weekend field trips that they are implementing. I already think that only having Saturday and Sunday to relax isn’t enough time as is!

Male: Really? I am actually quite excited for those. For starters, I am new to the area and think it would be a great chance to see the sights. It does involve a bit of overtime, but think about how much they enhance the students’ experience. Learning outside of a classroom is just as important as inside one.

You can try the more simulated APITS listening tests here.

How To Tackle Opinion Matching Questions?

Analyse the questions and options

Read the Question. We have to keep emphasising this, but you will only give the right answer if you understand what you must do.

 Take note of the keywords. In part 3 of the listening test, the question options are a little more complicated and so you need to think even more about the keywords.

Because they are longer sentences, the keyword(s) is very important. Look at the first statement

18) The school should provide better WIFI.

The keyword is ‘better’ although ‘provide’ is also significant because this word or a synonym will introduce the sentence with the answer.

In the next statement.

19) Teachers need access to more classroom technology.

 The phrase ‘classroom technology’ is important ‘access to more’ will be the phrase that gives you the answer.

Adverbs, determiners and adjectives are more important in these types of questions. These questions are designed to see what you infer, in other words, what you conclude from statements that are not obvious.

For example, we have the adjective ‘exciting’. The woman states that online classes would be ‘a great experience’ and ‘a lot of fun’, we can infer that only the woman finds it ‘exciting’. The man says that is in ‘not eager about them in the slightest’. So, not excited. Therefore, the answer is B, the woman only.

However, as in listening part 2, the verb and (this time) the adverb in the statement, may not always be repeated in the dialogue. You should be prepared to listen for synonyms and parallel expressions. These will be discussed later in the Tips and Strategies.

Be careful of ‘distractors’. As discussed in parts 1 & 2, distractors are words and phrases that are included in the text which sound like they might be the answer but aren’t.

In part 3 distractors may be different because you are not listening for specific information or the word may be used by one of the speakers to talk about another topic.

We see this in the conversation when the man says he is ‘excited’ about the field trips. The word ‘excited’ as we discussed, is a keyword in above question but isn’t the correct answer because the question is about new technology, not field trips.

Know your modals. As well as adverbs and adjectives being important, modal verbs are also often used in the statements (as in question 18). If you have a good understanding of modals and their synonyms, i.e.           Cannot – not able to

                                                    Should – not a good idea to

You will have a much better chance to understand the opinions you have.

Think about intonation and word stress. A negative reaction or disagreeing with what’s being said is more likely to have a falling intonation. Negative auxiliaries and modals are usually stressed. Positive ideas and statements agreeing with someone normally have a rising intonation.

Be ready for the information

Think about the situation. It is an important strategy in all listening tests and means preparing yourself for the answer so that you recognise it when you hear it.

As in part 1 & 2, it is extremely helpful to think about the situation before you listen (the technical expression for this is ‘activating schemata’).

Before you listen, you will need to think about this situation and what a person would say if they were telling another person their opinions, agreeing, and disagreeing.

Think about functional vocabulary. This is the type of vocabulary used in specific situations. In part 3 of the APTIS Listening Test, you have an advantage because you know that it is about opinions and that this will also include agreeing and disagreeing with opinions.

Before the test, you should make a chart of some of the words and expressions you will need in part 3. See the example below.

Listen for the ‘introduction’ words. These are the words that introduce and prepare you for the specific information that you need to answer the question. Again, you should imagine what people would say in a dialogue like this.

Flag the questions you are not certain about and return to them. You may not want to use too much time on the questions and so you can flag them and return later.

Make a note of the things that you want to check when you go back and listen again. If you are not sure what the answer is, note those two points and when you listen and confirm them later.

When you listen a second time, make sure that you prepare yourself again. You still have to listen carefully for the introductions to the answers and for the right matches- the information you need to answer the question correctly.

Remember! You will not lose marks for incorrect answers. Therefore, complete all of the questions.

Don’t change any answers unless you are sure you are right. The first answer is often the correct answer.

Other General TIPs and Strategies To Prepare For APTIS Listening

Audio scripts: When choosing or searching for practice tests, try and find ones with scripts. Scripts are the word-for-word written texts of the audio you listen to. It is a good idea to first listen without the script and then with the script. Use the script to confirm why your answer was right, or to tell you what you did wrong.

Listen as much as you can in English: Live talk radio, podcasts, TED talks, documentaries (these work well because there is not too much fast dialogue and the pictures help confirm what you hear) English Movies, English Cartoons, etc.)

Practice your English with your speaking partner: This will not only enable you to improve your speaking but enhance your listening skills too.

Polish your topic vocabulary: Most vocabulary books are set out in topics- Holidays, work, sport, shopping, music etc. By learning your vocabulary by topic then you will be more prepared if it comes up in the exam.

The power of music: Music is a great aid to memory. Memorising words that you like and remembering lyrics will help your vocabulary and grammar, as well as improving your listening skills.

The excitement of film: Films (or ‘movies’) help us predict what will be said by providing visual cues. The body language of an actor – as well as their tone of voice – give signs of what is about to be said, so it will help your English comprehension. Also, the more interested you are, the harder you will listen.

Think In English: This is not easy if you live in a country that is non-native English speaking, but you could change the operating system on your phone, tablet or laptop to English. Play a game with your friends where everyone has to speak English for an hour (try to make it funny by trying to sound as English as possible). Have a day when you only listen to or watch things that are in English. Practice situations or dialogues when you are travelling or don’t have anything to do. 

Try as many as practice APTIS tests: Doing practice tests will help you build your concentration levels and your instinct. More than that, practice will improve your English and help you with the timings you need to complete the test with the best result. If you would like to increase your APTIS score by practicing more listening practice tests then please check the exam library in our website here. There you will find largest simulated APTIS test database. Totally free with no registration (we won't even ask for your email).