What Is Part 4?
Part 4 plays a news broadcast (~1.5 minutes long). While listening, you see a written summary of the news on screen — but with 5 blanks (gaps). Each blank has a dropdown with 4 options. Your job is to choose the correct word or phrase for each blank based on what you hear.
You have 150 seconds (2.5 minutes) after the audio to confirm or change your answers. This is the first "cloze" part, and it shifts from conversation-based listening to news-based listening.
Read the Summary BEFORE the Audio
This is the most important strategy for Part 4:
1. You can see the summary paragraph before the news plays 2. Read the entire paragraph — understand the story's structure 3. Predict what each blank might be — is it a name? A number? An action verb? A reason? 4. Open the dropdowns and scan the options — this tells you what to listen for
By knowing what the blanks need BEFORE the audio plays, you transform listening into confirmation rather than discovery.
Match Blanks to Audio Moments
The written summary follows the same order as the audio. Blank 1 corresponds to something said early in the news, Blank 5 corresponds to something said near the end.
Strategy: 1. As the audio plays, follow along in the summary paragraph 2. When the audio reaches a blank's location, listen carefully for that specific detail 3. Choose the matching option immediately (or narrow it to 2) 4. Continue following the audio to the next blank
Think of it as reading along with the news — the blanks are the parts you need the audio to fill in.
Use the 150-Second Review Wisely
After the audio stops, you have 2.5 minutes to finalize:
- Confident blanks: Leave them alone (don't second-guess) - 50/50 blanks: Re-read the full sentence with each option — which one makes grammatical sense? - No-idea blanks: Eliminate any option that doesn't fit grammatically, then guess from the remainder
Grammar shortcuts: - If the sentence needs a verb, check the tense (past, present, future) - If it needs a noun, check the article (a/an/the) before the blank - If options are similar words, the one that matches the news topic is usually correct
Common CLB 7 Mistakes
- Not reading the summary first: This turns Part 4 into a memory test instead of a follow-along exercise - Trying to fill blanks during audio: It's okay to tentatively select during audio, but use the review time to confirm - Picking an option just because you heard the word: The CELPIP may use a word in the audio but in a different context — match the MEANING, not just the word - Leaving blanks until the end: The 150 seconds goes fast. Fill what you can during audio, review after.