This Bankside Recruitment Agency listening test page gives you Section 1 of Cambridge IELTS 15 Listening Test 1 in full: the complete answer key for Questions 1–10, playable audio, an explanation for every question with the exact transcript line that proves it, and the recording script. The recording is a phone call between Amber and William about the agency that found him work, tested through ten note completion items worth ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.

The marks hide in corrections: the hourly rate settles at £10 rather than the eight or nine pounds Amber expected, a first placement lasts a week rather than the month she hopes for, and exam certificates are rejected while the passport is required. Skim the note stems and predict the word class of each gap with the note completion strategy, then check every mark on the complete Cambridge IELTS 15 Listening Test 1 answers page covering all four sections.

Listening Audio — Section 1

Play the recording once, without pausing, and answer Questions 1–10 before you check the key. In the real exam you hear each section exactly once.

Questions 1–10

Questions 1–10

Complete the notes below.

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

• Bankside Recruitment Agency
• Address of agency: 497 Eastside, Docklands
• Name of agent: Becky 1 …………
• Phone number: 07866 510333
• Best to call her in the 2 …………
• Typical jobs
• Clerical and admin roles, mainly in the finance industry
• Must have good 3 ………… skills
• Jobs are usually for at least one 4 …………
• Pay is usually £ 5 ………… per hour
• Registration process
• Wear a 6 ………… to the interview
• Must bring your 7 ………… to the interview
• They will ask questions about each applicant’s 8 …………
• Advantages of using an agency
• The 9 ………… you receive at interview will benefit you
• Will get access to vacancies which are not advertised
• Less 10 ………… is involved in applying for jobs

Bankside Recruitment Agency Listening Answers

Questions and Answers

Bankside Recruitment Agency Answer Explanations

1. Jamieson — William names the agent with “The agent I always deal with is called Becky Jamieson”, then dictates it letter by letter: “Jamieson J-A-M-I-E-S-O-N”. Becky is already printed in the note, so only the surname scores, spelled exactly as dictated — Jamieson, with -ie- in the middle.

2. afternoon — the note asks when it is best to call, and William advises “I wouldn’t call her until the afternoon if I were you”, because “she’s always really busy in the morning”. Morning is the trap: the negative wouldn’t … until postpones the call past the busy period to the afternoon.

3. communication — the note asks which skill matters for the likely receptionist role, and William ranks the priorities: “isn’t so much having business skills or knowing lots of different computer systems – it’s communication that really matters”. Business skills and computer systems are the distractors, named only to be placed below communication.

4. week — Amber hopes for a placement “lasting at least a month”, but William replies that “you’re more likely to be offered something for a week at first, which might get extended”. He adds that “It’s unusual to be sent somewhere for just a day or two”, so the usual minimum length is one week.

5. 10 — the note asks for the usual hourly pay, and William says “The hourly rate is about £10”, adding “11 if you’re lucky”. Eleven is conditional on luck rather than usual, and Amber’s “eight or nine pounds an hour” is the expectation she held before the call. The key accepts 10 or ten, because this task allows ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.

6. suit — the clothing answer comes from Amber herself: “I can probably borrow a suit from Mum”. William approves the plan with “It’s better to look too smart than too casual”, but smart and casual are adjectives describing appearance; the noun the note needs after wear a is suit.

7. passport — Amber asks about exam certificates first and is told “they don’t need to see those”, but when she asks “What about my passport?”, William confirms that “they will ask to see that”. Certificates are the trap: the first document is rejected, so the one you must bring is the passport.

8. personality — the note sits under the registration process, and William explains that “there are questions about personality that they always ask candidates – fairly basic ones”. He adds that “they probably won’t ask anything too difficult like what your plans are for the future”, so personality is the guaranteed topic.

9. feedback — the first advantage is what the interview gives you, and William says “they’ll give you feedback on your performance so you can improve next time”. Unadvertised vacancies belong to the next bullet of the notes, so the noun that benefits you at the interview itself is feedback.

10. time — the final advantage closes the section, as Amber concludes that finding work through the agency “takes a lot less time – it’s much easier than ringing up individual companies”. Ringing up companies is the method the agency replaces, and less points straight to the noun time.

Listening Transcript — Section 1

AMBER: Hello William. This is Amber – you said to phone if I wanted to get more information about the job agency you mentioned. Is now a good time?

WILLIAM: Oh, hi Amber. Yes. Fine. So the agency I was talking about is called Bankside – they’re based in Docklands – I can tell you the address now – 497 Eastside.

AMBER: OK, thanks. So is there anyone in particular I should speak to there?

WILLIAM: The agent I always deal with is called Becky Jamieson.

AMBER: Let me write that down – Becky …

WILLIAM: Jamieson J-A-M-I-E-S-O-N.

AMBER: Do you have her direct line?

WILLIAM: Yes, it’s in my contacts somewhere – right, here we are: 078 double 6, 510 triple 3. I wouldn’t call her until the afternoon if I were you – she’s always really busy in the morning trying to fill last-minute vacancies. She’s really helpful and friendly so I’m sure it would be worth getting in touch with her for an informal chat.

AMBER: It’s mainly clerical and admin jobs they deal with, isn’t it?

WILLIAM: That’s right. I know you’re hoping to find a full-time job in the media eventually – but Becky mostly recruits temporary staff for the finance sector – which will look good on your CV – and generally pays better too.

AMBER: Yeah – I’m just a bit worried because I don’t have much office experience.

WILLIAM: I wouldn’t worry. They’ll probably start you as a receptionist, or something like that. So what’s important for that kind of job isn’t so much having business skills or knowing lots of different computer systems – it’s communication that really matters – so you’d be fine there. And you’ll pick up office skills really quickly on the job. It’s not that complicated.

AMBER: OK good. So how long do people generally need temporary staff for? It would be great if I could get something lasting at least a month.

WILLIAM: That shouldn’t be too difficult. But you’re more likely to be offered something for a week at first, which might get extended. It’s unusual to be sent somewhere for just a day or two.

AMBER: Right, I’ve heard the pay isn’t too bad – better than working in a shop or a restaurant.

WILLIAM: Oh yes – definitely. The hourly rate is about £10, 11 if you’re lucky.

AMBER: That’s pretty good. I was only expecting to get eight or nine pounds an hour.

————————————————

WILLIAM: Do you want me to tell you anything about the registration process?

AMBER: Yes, please. I know you have to have an interview.

WILLIAM: The interview usually takes about an hour and you should arrange that about a week in advance.

AMBER: I suppose I should dress smartly if it’s for office work – I can probably borrow a suit from Mum.

WILLIAM: Good idea. It’s better to look too smart than too casual.

AMBER: Will I need to bring copies of my exam certificates or anything like that?

WILLIAM: No – they don’t need to see those, I don’t think.

AMBER: What about my passport?

WILLIAM: Oh yes – they will ask to see that.

AMBER: OK.

WILLIAM: I wouldn’t get stressed about the interview though. It’s just a chance for them to build a relationship with you – so they can try and match you to a job which you’ll like. So there are questions about personality that they always ask candidates – fairly basic ones. And they probably won’t ask anything too difficult like what your plans are for the future.

AMBER: Hope not.

WILLIAM: Anyway, there are lots of benefits to using an agency – for example, the interview will be useful because they’ll give you feedback on your performance so you can improve next time.

AMBER: And they’ll have access to jobs which aren’t advertised.

WILLIAM: Exactly – most temporary jobs aren’t advertised.

AMBER: And I expect finding a temporary job this way takes a lot less time – it’s much easier than ringing up individual companies.

WILLIAM: Yes indeed. Well I think …

Key Vocabulary and Spelling

Study Tips

Fix the word limit before the recording starts. Questions 1–10 allow ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER, so Question 5 scores with 10 or with ten, while ten pounds or £10 an hour both fail because the note already prints £ … per hour around the gap. The note completion strategy shows how to read each stem for its word class and for the words already given, so your answer never repeats what is printed.

Track the negatives, because three answers sit right beside them. William will not call Becky “until the afternoon”, certificates are dismissed with “they don’t need to see those”, and “It’s unusual to be sent somewhere for just a day or two” rules out the shortest placements. Keep your pencil moving until each point is settled, because the first idea voiced is regularly the one the speaker then cancels.

Practise dictated spelling and doubled digits. The surname arrives letter by letter — “Jamieson J-A-M-I-E-S-O-N” — and the phone number comes as “078 double 6, 510 triple 3”, which you write as 07866 510333. The listening spelling rules guide lists the double and triple conventions readers use, so drill them until doubling a digit costs you no thought at all.

Practice More Listening Tests

Mark the ten answers strictly, read the explanation for every miss, and log the score on the full Cambridge IELTS 15 Listening Test 1 answers page, which holds the keys, explanations and transcripts for all four sections. The free IELTS listening practice course from Simply IELTS drills exactly what this section rewards: tracking corrected numbers, respecting word limits and spelling dictated names such as Jamieson. Then try this interactive listening test: childcare services for another workplace topic under exam conditions, and move on to Section 2, the Matthews Island Holidays listening test, to keep the full paper in order.