Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz: Multi Step Instructions Listening

10 questions · exam conditions

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Multi Step Instructions ListeningQuestion 1 of 10

Listen to the instructions for registering for a class: "First, go to the school website and create an account. Second, log in with your new username and password. Third, search for the class you want. Fourth, click 'Add to Cart.' Fifth, go to your cart and review your schedule. Finally, click 'Submit' to finish your registration."

A student creates an account, logs in, searches for a class, and clicks 'Add to Cart.' What are the NEXT TWO steps she must complete in order?

Click 'Submit' to finish, then go to the cart and review the schedule carefully

Search for another class to add, then log out of the school website account

Go to the cart and review the schedule, then click 'Submit' to finish registration

Log out and log back in to confirm the class, then click 'Submit' to register

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Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner Quiz: Multi Step Instructions Listening

Practice Multi Step Instructions Listening in Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Multi Step Instructions Listening, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL High Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

A student creates an account, logs in, searches for a class, and clicks 'Add to Cart.' What are the NEXT TWO steps she must complete in order?

Click 'Submit' to finish, then go to the cart and review the schedule carefully
Search for another class to add, then log out of the school website account
Go to the cart and review the schedule, then click 'Submit' to finish registration (correct answer)
Log out and log back in to confirm the class, then click 'Submit' to register

Explanation: When a passage gives you a numbered list of steps, your job is to track where the student already is in the sequence and identify what comes immediately next — in order. Think of it like following a recipe: skipping or rearranging steps means the process breaks down. In this passage, the steps are clearly numbered: (1) create an account, (2) log in, (3) search for a class, (4) click 'Add to Cart,' (5) go to the cart and review your schedule, and (6) click 'Submit.' The student has already completed steps one through four. That means the next two steps, in order, are step five — go to the cart and review the schedule — followed by step six — click 'Submit' to finish registration. That makes C the correct answer. A reverses the order, placing 'Submit' before reviewing the cart. The passage is explicit that reviewing the cart comes before submitting, so this gets the sequence backwards — a classic trap when you recognize the right steps but mix up their order. B introduces steps that never appear in the passage at all — searching for another class and logging out are not part of the described registration process. When answer choices mention actions the passage never describes, eliminate them immediately. D is also invented. The passage never says to log out and log back in to confirm anything. This distractor may sound logical in real life, but your answers must come from the passage, not your outside experience. Your strategy: when a passage lists numbered steps, underline or mentally note each one. Then find exactly where the student stopped, and count forward — don't guess based on what "makes sense" outside the text.

Question 2

Listen to the fire drill instructions: "When you hear the alarm, stop what you are doing immediately. Leave all your belongings at your desk. Walk — do not run — to the nearest exit. Once outside, move away from the building and find your group leader. Do not go back inside until the group leader says it is safe."

According to the fire drill instructions, which action is NOT correct?

A student hears the alarm, leaves her bag at her desk, and walks to the nearest exit door
A student exits the building, moves away from it, and waits for the group leader to speak
A student hears the alarm, grabs his backpack quickly, and then walks to the nearest exit (correct answer)
A student goes outside, moves far from the building, and stays there until the leader speaks

Explanation: When reading a passage with instructions, your job is to find what each answer choice says and compare it carefully to the rules in the passage. Questions that ask for what is "NOT correct" want you to find the one action that breaks a rule. The fire drill passage gives clear rules: leave your belongings at your desk, walk (don't run) to the nearest exit, move away from the building, and wait for the group leader. The key rule here is "Leave all your belongings at your desk." This means you must not take anything with you. Choice C describes a student who "grabs his backpack quickly" before walking to the exit. Even though he walks correctly, he still takes his bag — which directly breaks the instruction to leave belongings behind. This makes C the wrong action, and therefore the correct answer to the question. Now let's look at why the other choices are not the answer. Choice A shows a student who leaves her bag at her desk and walks to the exit — both of these follow the rules exactly. Choice B shows a student who exits, moves away from the building, and waits for the group leader — all three steps match the instructions. Choice D shows a student who goes outside, moves far away, and stays until the leader speaks — again, this matches the rules perfectly. A good strategy for "NOT correct" questions: read each answer choice like a checklist and ask yourself, does any part of this break a rule? Even one small detail — like grabbing a bag — can make the whole action wrong.

Question 3

Listen to the instructions for a vocabulary exercise: "You will hear five words. After each word, you will hear it used in a sentence. Write the word in your notebook. Then write what you think the word means in your own words. Do NOT use a dictionary yet. After all five words, compare your definitions with a partner. Finally, check your answers with a dictionary together."

According to the instructions, when is it correct to use a dictionary?

After comparing your definitions with a partner, at the end of the exercise (correct answer)
After writing each word, to immediately check your definition is accurate
Before writing the word in your notebook, to make sure you spell it correctly
While you are writing what you think each word means in your notebook

Explanation: When a passage gives you step-by-step instructions, read carefully for sequence — the order in which steps happen matters. Questions like this test whether you can follow a multi-step process and identify when a specific action is allowed. The instructions describe a clear sequence: (1) hear a word, (2) write it in your notebook, (3) write what you think it means in your own words, (4) repeat for all five words, (5) compare your definitions with a partner, and (6) then check with a dictionary together. The phrase "Finally, check your answers with a dictionary together" places dictionary use at the very end — after the partner comparison. That makes A the correct answer. Choice B is wrong because the instructions say "Do NOT use a dictionary yet" immediately after writing each word — using it right away directly contradicts this instruction. Choice C is wrong because looking up spelling before writing the word is never mentioned, and it would also violate the "do NOT use a dictionary yet" rule, which applies to the early stages of the exercise. Choice D is wrong for the same reason — using a dictionary while writing your personal definition defeats the purpose of the exercise, which asks you to think independently first. A useful strategy: when a passage contains the word "finally" or "after," pay close attention — these signal the last step in a sequence. On reading comprehension questions, wrong answers often describe real actions from the passage but placed at the wrong time. Always ask yourself not just what happens, but when it happens.

Question 4

Listen to the instructions for using the school's copy machine: "First, place your paper face-down on the glass. Close the lid. On the screen, choose the number of copies you need. Then press the green button to start. Wait for all the copies to come out before you open the lid. Take your copies from the tray. Finally, lift the lid and remove your original paper."

A student needs to use the copy machine. He places his paper face-down on the glass, closes the lid, chooses the number of copies, and presses the green button. The machine finishes printing. What should he do NEXT according to the instructions?

Take his finished copies from the output tray before doing anything else (correct answer)
Open the lid immediately to check that the original paper is still in the right place
Lift the lid right away and take out the original paper from the glass surface
Press the green button one more time to make sure all the copies printed correctly

Explanation: When you see a question asking what someone should do "NEXT" in a process, focus on sequence. These questions test whether you can follow step-by-step instructions carefully — a critical skill for everyday tasks like operating office equipment. According to the instructions, after the machine finishes printing, the very next step is to "wait for all the copies to come out" and then "take your copies from the tray." This makes A the correct answer. The instructions are clear that you collect your finished copies from the output tray before doing anything else with the machine. Choice B is a trap because it tells you to open the lid "immediately" after printing — but the instructions specifically say to wait for all copies to come out before opening the lid. Opening the lid too soon could interrupt the machine or damage your original. Choice C makes a similar mistake — it skips straight to removing the original paper, which is actually the final step in the process, not the next one. The instructions place removing the original last, after you have already taken your copies. Choice D is not mentioned anywhere in the instructions. Pressing the green button again is not a suggested step, and doing so could create unwanted extra copies. A helpful strategy: when answering sequence questions, mentally number each step as you read the passage. Then find exactly where the person stopped in the story and ask yourself, "What comes right after this step?" Don't skip ahead — on this type of question, the trap answers usually jump too far forward or backward in the sequence.

Question 5

Listen to the instructions for a class presentation: "You will have four minutes to present. Start by introducing yourself and your topic. Then give three main points. For each point, give one example. At the end, summarize your main points in one or two sentences. Do not read directly from your paper. Look at your audience when you speak."

According to the instructions, how many examples should a student include in a complete presentation?

One example in total, given at the very end after all three main points are finished
Four examples in total, one for the introduction and one for each of the three points
Two examples in total, one for the first main point and one for the last main point
Three examples in total, one example for each of the three main points (correct answer)

Explanation: When a passage gives you a list of steps or rules, slow down and match each instruction to the question being asked. Here, the question asks specifically about examples — so your job is to find exactly what the passage says about them. The passage says: "Give three main points. For each point, give one example." The phrase "for each point" is the key. If there are three points and each one gets one example, that means 3 × 1 = three examples total. That makes D the correct answer — three examples, one per main point. Choice A is wrong because it says one example total, given at the end. The passage never says to wait until the end to give examples, and it never limits you to just one. This answer confuses the summary (which comes at the end) with examples. Choice B is wrong because it adds a fourth example for the introduction. The passage says to introduce yourself and your topic at the start, but it never mentions giving an example during the introduction — only during the three main points. Choice C is wrong because it says two examples, one for the first point and one for the last. This ignores the middle point entirely. The passage says "each point" gets an example, meaning all three, not just the first and last. A useful strategy: when a reading question asks "how many," go back to the passage and underline or circle every number and every instruction word like "each" or "every." Those words tell you that a rule applies to all items in a group, which often changes the total count.

Question 6

Listen to the instructions for checking out a library book: "First, find the book you want on the shelf. Bring it to the front desk. Show the librarian your library card. The librarian will scan your card and then scan the book. She will tell you the due date. Write down the due date so you do not forget it. You may now take the book home."

According to the instructions, what happens BETWEEN the librarian scanning your card and you writing down the due date?

You find the book on the shelf and then carry it to the front desk to begin the checkout
The librarian scans the book and then tells you the date when it must be returned (correct answer)
You take out your library card and show it to the librarian at the front desk
You take the book home after the librarian gives you permission to leave the library

Explanation: When a question asks what happens between two specific steps, you are being tested on your ability to follow a sequence carefully. Your job is to identify only the events that occur after the first named step and before the second named step — nothing outside that window. In the passage, the sequence goes: scan the card → scan the book → tell you the due date → write down the due date. The question asks what happens between "scanning your card" and "writing down the due date." That middle section contains two events: the librarian scans the book, and then she tells you the due date. Answer B captures both of these steps perfectly — the librarian scans the book and then tells you when it must be returned (the due date). B is correct. Answer A describes finding the book and carrying it to the front desk, which happens at the very beginning of the process — long before any scanning occurs. This is outside the window the question is asking about. Answer C describes showing your library card to the librarian, which happens just before the card is scanned — again, too early. It falls outside the specified range. Answer D describes taking the book home, which is the final step in the instructions — it comes after you write down the due date, making it too late to fit between the two steps in the question. A useful strategy: when you see the word between in a sequence question, physically locate the two anchor steps in the passage and only consider what is written in between them. Anything before or after is a trap.

Question 7

Listen to these instructions for sending an email: "Open your email program. Click 'New Message.' Type the recipient's email address in the 'To' field. Write a subject in the 'Subject' line. Then type your message in the large box. Before you send, read your message one more time to check for mistakes. When you are ready, click 'Send.'"

According to the instructions, what should you do DIRECTLY AFTER you finish typing your message in the large box?

Click the 'Send' button right away so the message goes to the recipient quickly
Read your message one more time to check it for any mistakes you made (correct answer)
Type the recipient's email address carefully in the correct 'To' field first
Write a clear and descriptive subject in the 'Subject' line of the email

Explanation: When a question asks what happens "directly after" a specific step, you need to focus on sequence — the order in which things happen. Scan the passage for the step mentioned in the question, then look at what comes immediately next. In the instructions, the steps go: open the program → click 'New Message' → type the email address → write a subject → type your message → read it one more time to check for mistakes → click 'Send.' So the step that comes directly after finishing your message in the large box is rereading it for mistakes. That makes B the correct answer — it matches the passage exactly. Choice A is tempting because clicking 'Send' is the goal of the whole process, but that is the last step, not what happens directly after typing your message. Skipping the review step means missing what the instructions actually say. Choice C describes typing the recipient's email address in the 'To' field, which happens near the beginning of the process — long before you type your message. Choosing C means you read the sequence backwards. Choice D describes writing the subject line, which also happens before typing the message, not after. Both C and D are real steps in the instructions, but they appear earlier in the sequence, not directly after. A useful strategy: when you see the word "directly after" (or "directly before"), underline the specific step in the passage and put your finger on it. Then read only the next sentence — that is your answer. Don't let the whole passage confuse you.

Question 8

Listen to these directions to the library: "Walk out the front door and turn left. Go straight for two blocks. At the traffic light, turn right. Walk past the post office and the park. The library is the big blue building on the left, right after the park."

According to the directions, which building or place comes IMMEDIATELY before you reach the library?

The traffic light at the corner where you turn right onto the street
The post office that you walk past on the way to the library
The front door of the building where you started your walk
The park that you walk past before arriving at the library (correct answer)

Explanation: When following directions, pay close attention to sequence — the order in which places appear. Questions that ask what comes "immediately before" a destination want the very last thing you pass right before arriving. Let's trace the route step by step: you exit the front door, turn left, walk two blocks, turn right at the traffic light, walk past the post office, walk past the park, and then arrive at the library. The directions specifically say the library is "right after the park," which tells you the park is the final landmark before your destination. That makes D the correct answer — the park is immediately before the library. Here's why the other choices miss the mark. A is wrong because the traffic light is where you turn right, which happens earlier in the journey — you still have the post office and the park to pass before reaching the library. B is tempting because the post office is on the route to the library, but it's not immediately before it — the park comes after the post office, so the post office is two steps away, not one. C is the very starting point of your walk, which is far from the library and completely unrelated to what's just before it. A useful strategy: when a question uses the word "immediately," underline it mentally. It's asking about direct neighbors in a sequence, not anything that comes before in general. Trace the steps in order and find the one that touches the destination directly.

Question 9

Listen to the cooking instructions: "To make tea, first boil water in a kettle. While you wait, put a tea bag in your cup. When the water is ready, carefully pour it into the cup. Wait three minutes. Then remove the tea bag and add sugar if you want. Stir well before you drink."

A student follows these instructions but forgets one step. She boils the water, pours it into the cup, waits three minutes, removes the tea bag, adds sugar, and stirs. What did she forget to do?

She forgot to stir the tea after adding the sugar to the hot water
She forgot to wait three minutes before removing the tea bag from the cup
She forgot to put the tea bag in the cup before pouring the hot water (correct answer)
She forgot to add sugar to the tea before she removed the tea bag

Explanation: When a question asks you to compare what should happen with what actually happened, your job is to read both carefully and find the missing step. This is a sequence comprehension skill — tracking the order of actions matters. The instructions list six steps: (1) boil water, (2) put the tea bag in the cup, (3) pour hot water into the cup, (4) wait three minutes, (5) remove the tea bag and add sugar, (6) stir. The student's actions skip straight from boiling the water to pouring it — she never put the tea bag in the cup first. That means she poured hot water into an empty cup, with no tea bag waiting inside. Answer C is correct: she forgot to put the tea bag in the cup before pouring the hot water. Looking at the wrong choices: A says she forgot to stir, but the passage clearly states she did stir — it's the last thing she did. B says she forgot to wait three minutes, but the student's actions explicitly include waiting three minutes before removing the tea bag. D says she forgot to add sugar before removing the tea bag — but the instructions actually say to remove the tea bag first, then add sugar, so the student followed this correctly. A helpful strategy: when a question lists steps and asks what was forgotten, write out or mentally check off each step one by one against both lists. The step that appears in the instructions but not in the student's actions is your answer.

Question 10

Listen to the instructions: "First, turn off your phone. Next, open your notebook to a blank page. Then, write today's date at the top. After that, copy the three words from the board. Finally, close your notebook and put it in your bag."

According to the instructions, what should you do BEFORE you write today's date?

Copy the three words from the board and then put your notebook in your bag
Turn off your phone and open your notebook to a blank page (correct answer)
Open your notebook to a blank page and write the three words from the board
Close your notebook and turn off your phone at the same time

Explanation: When a passage gives you a list of steps in order, questions about sequence — what comes first, second, or before/after something else — are really testing whether you can read and follow the order carefully. The key words to watch are transition words like first, next, then, after that, and finally, because they tell you exactly when each action happens. In this passage, the steps go: (1) turn off your phone → (2) open your notebook to a blank page → (3) write today's date → (4) copy the three words → (5) close your notebook and put it in your bag. The question asks what happens before writing the date, which is step 3. That means you need the steps that come directly before it — steps 1 and 2. Answer B is correct because it lists exactly those two actions: turn off your phone and open your notebook to a blank page. Both happen before writing the date. Answer A is wrong because copying the three words and putting the notebook in the bag happen after writing the date — those are steps 4 and 5, not before step 3. Answer C is partially right (opening the notebook is correct) but adds "write the three words," which happens after the date — mixing up the order. Answer D is wrong because closing your notebook is the very last step, not something that happens before writing the date. Also, the instructions never say to do two things "at the same time." Study tip: When you see sequence questions, quickly number each step as you read. Then find your target step and look at what comes just before it.