What 0510/02 assesses
Five listening exercises with 40 multiple-choice questions on monologues, interviews and conversations. Each recording is heard twice, and candidates transfer their answers to an answer sheet in the six minutes allowed. The questions test specific information, opinions, attitudes, connections between ideas and implied meaning.
- Time: Approximately 50 minutes (including 6 minutes' transfer time)
- Marks: 40
- Weight: 30% of Cambridge International 0510 (2027–2029 syllabus)
- How it is assessed: External
- Who takes it: All candidates
0510/02 is worth 30% of the 0510 grade and carries 40 marks. Each mark moves the qualification by about 0.75%. The qualification is graded A*–G.
What the examiners reward in 0510/02
Listening
- L3. demonstrate understanding of the connections between ideas, opinions and attitudes
This is one of the objectives. The 0510 overview lists the full set.
Marks in the Listening paper reward understanding spoken English at word, sentence and whole-text level. Students must catch specific detail such as names, times and numbers. They must follow an argument or explanation, and grasp a speaker's opinion or attitude.
Good work shows your child has read the questions before the recording starts. They have also predicted the kind of answer each gap needs. They also listen for signpost words that flag when the answer is coming.
Strong candidates write concise, correctly spelled answers and do not overwrite gap-fill spaces. Our teachers train prediction, signpost-spotting and note-taking with original recordings and transcripts. Your child listens actively rather than hoping to catch every word.
For more detail, see 0510 listening in the syllabus.
Preparing for Cambridge International 0510 Paper 2? The paid trial hour can start with a timed look at that paper.
Question types we practise for 0510/02
- ESL listening: note completion: Catching specific detail from spoken English. Skills guide · annotated model response · practice
Where marks are lost on 0510/02
Answering ESL listening questions: Not reading the questions before the recording. The student listens with no target and catches the wrong thing, often the option being rejected. Read the full guide.
Preparing for 0510/02 with us
A teacher practises 0510/02 listening tasks with your child under timed conditions, then goes through the notes and answers. See English as a Second Language tuition for how a session runs.
0510/02 is one component of Cambridge International 0510, graded on the A*–G scale. Check the current arrangement for your exam year with your school or the board.