Conversation Between a Student and a University Staff Member: Course Registration
Listening Part 2: Listen to a Conversation
As the name suggests, you will hear a conversation between two people. The topics vary widely and may include daily life, meals, social situations, education, hobbies, services, health issues, household chores, and travel.
Although the previous TOEFL also included conversation-based questions, the new TOEFL Part 2 focuses much more heavily on everyday life. Since the older version of the TOEFL was composed almost entirely of academic contexts, you may be surprised by the types of topics you hear in this section.
How to Tackle Part 2?
Before we move on to practice questions, let’s review some effective strategies for tackling Listening Section Part 2. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this section is the limited time you have to select your answer: you are given only 20 seconds for each question.
Within that short time frame, you must read all four options and choose the most appropriate one.
No Need to Take Notes
The conversation in Part 2 is very short. In fact, it usually lasts less than 30 seconds, often around 20 seconds. Because of its length, you generally don’t need to take notes. Instead, you should focus fully on understanding the audio.
Focus on the Problem Mentioned in the Conversation
In the new TOEFL Listening Section Part 2, some questions require you to identify the problem mentioned in the conversation. Therefore, if one of the speakers refers to a specific issue, make sure you clearly remember what it is.
Focus on What the Speaker Will Do Next
Many questions require you to infer what one of the speakers will do next. The key information often appears at the very end of the conversation. Therefore, do not lose focus until the audio finishes.
Limited Time Window for Selecting an Option
As mentioned above, you will have only 20 seconds to answer each question. This time includes reading the instructions and the answer choices, and then selecting the correct one.
Practice Questions
Answers and Transcriptions
Listening 1 (Question 1 and 2)
Transcription
Student: Excuse me, I’m having trouble registering for Introduction to Environmental Policy.
Staff Member: What seems to be the issue?
Student: The system says I haven’t met the requirement, even though I took the introductory politics course last semester.
Staff Member: I see. That course used to count, but starting this term, students need Environmental Studies 101 instead.
Student: Oh, I didn’t realize the requirement had changed.
Staff Member: The department revised several course pathways over the summer.
Student: That’s frustrating. I need this class for my minor and wanted to take it this fall.
Staff Member: If the instructor approves it, we may be able to accept a substitute course.
Student: So should I email the instructor before submitting any form?
Staff Member: Exactly. We need written approval before we can process a petition.
Answer for Question 1
Question: What problem does the student have?
Answer: D
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Student: “Excuse me, I’m having trouble registering for Introduction to Environmental Policy.”
- Student: “The system says I haven’t met the requirement, even though I took the introductory politics course last semester.”
These lines show that the student is trying to register for a course, but the system will not allow him to add it. That is the central problem in the conversation. Therefore, the best answer is D. He can’t add a course he wants to take.
Answer for Question 2
Question: What will the student probably do next?
Answer: D
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Student: “So should I email the instructor before submitting any form?”
- Staff Member: “Exactly. We need written approval before we can process a petition.”
The staff member clearly tells the student that written approval from the instructor is required before the petition can be processed. Since the student directly asks whether he should email the instructor first and the staff member confirms this, the student will most likely contact the instructor next. Therefore, the best answer is D. Contact the instructor.
Listening 2 (Question 3 and 4)
Transcription
Student: I was told to come here because I still can’t register for the data visualization seminar.
Staff Member: Is the system giving you a prerequisite error?
Student: No, that’s what confused me. It says the course is restricted, even though my major is listed as eligible.
Staff Member: Let me pull it up… Ah, I see what happened. The department changed the seminar code this semester, but your degree audit is still linking to the old version.
Student: So the system thinks I’m trying to add the wrong course?
Staff Member: Essentially, yes. The new section is reserved for declared majors, but the record that confirms your concentration hasn’t been updated yet.
Student: That’s frustrating, because I need this seminar to stay on track for graduation.
Staff Member: Under normal circumstances, I’d tell you to wait for the system refresh tonight.
Student: But if I wait, won’t the remaining seats disappear by tomorrow morning?
Staff Member: They might. What you can do instead is submit a temporary enrollment request, and I can attach a note confirming your concentration status.
Student: Does that mean I’ll be officially enrolled today?
Staff Member: Not immediately, but it will let the registrar hold a seat for you until the records are corrected.
Answer for Question 3
Question: What problem does the student have?
Answer: A
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Student: “I was told to come here because I still can’t register for the data visualization seminar.”
- Student: “It says the course is restricted, even though my major is listed as eligible.”
These lines directly show the student’s immediate problem: he is unable to register for the course. The conversation later explains the cause, but the question asks about the problem itself, not the deeper reason behind it. Therefore, the best answer is A. He can’t register for the class.
Answer for Question 4
Question: What will the student probably do next?
Answer: D
Key evidence from the conversation:
- Staff Member: “What you can do instead is submit a temporary enrollment request, and I can attach a note confirming your concentration status.”
- Staff Member: “It will let the registrar hold a seat for you until the records are corrected.”
The staff member presents a clear next step: submit a temporary enrollment request so that a seat can be held while the records are corrected. Since this is offered as the practical alternative to waiting, the best answer is D. Submit a temporary enrollment request.
