Pilsonība.lv › Latvian state language test A2 — how it works and how to prepare › Listening at level A2 — what the test sounds like
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Listening at level A2 — what the test sounds like
Listening is the first part of the Latvian state language test: 25 minutes, 3 tasks, 15 points, each recording played twice. Most mistakes come not from unknown words but from numbers, times and place names that sound side by side in an announcement.
| Task | What to do | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 announcements (station, shop, doctor, weather…); each with a question and 3 options. Played twice. | 6 |
| 2. | A conversation (≈1 min); 4 statements — Jā or Nē. | 4 |
| 3. | 5 short dialogues; write the missing word or number into the sentence from 9 given (4 extra). | 5 |
| Total | 25 minutes · pass mark 9 of 15 (60%) | 15 |
Technique: read the question before the recording
On the first play listen only for what is asked (when? where? how much?) and mark the answer in pencil. On the second play — check. Don’t listen to the announcement “in general”.
Typical mistakes
Mixed-up numbers: piecpadsmit / pieci, deviņos / desmitos. Mixing up who speaks (in Jā/Nē statements — “Anna nopirks…” or Ilze?). In task 3 the word is written in the wrong form — listen to the ending: deviņos, not deviņi.
How to practise here
Every topic has a listening exercise in the exact format (6 + 4 + 5). In “Learning” mode recordings play without limit and after answering you see the transcript with the place where the answer sounded highlighted. “Exam mode” — twice and a timer. Weak numbers and endings — minimal pairs by ear in the daily lesson.
Example (task 1)
🔊 “Uzmanību! Vilciens Rīga–Jelgava atiet no otrā ceļa pulksten astoņos un piecpadsmit minūtēs.”
No kura ceļa atiet vilciens? (Which track does the train leave from?)
- No otrā ceļa
- No pirmā ceļa
- No trešā ceļa
Answer and why
No otrā ceļa — the word “otrā” comes right before “ceļa”. Numbers are the main trap in announcements: the time (astoņos un piecpadsmit) is not what is asked, but it distracts.
Related pages
Latvian state language test A2 — how it works and how to prepare →Reading at level A2 — how the test is built →Writing at level A2 — what and how you write in the test →Speaking at level A2 — how the conversation with the examiner goes →