# The College's Student Admission System Upgrade: answers and explanations

The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, Test 1, Listening Part 3

Source: Recording, questions and answer key from The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, Test 1, Listening Part 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 21 | C | But it really doesn't suit the way we work these days. ... It's over 10 years old, and although it was fine when it was first introduced. |
| 22 | A | it sometimes seems the system has crashed but, in fact, it just takes ages to go from one screen to the next ... Well, that's the main one |
| 23 | B | what's made it complicated is that many of them have options ... Well, no, it doesn't. |
| 24 | A | it sounds like you could do with an assistant, but that's obviously not possible ... an online system that students can use to do their scheduling |
| 25 | C | OK, that'll probably take longer, although it may save you money in the long run. |
| 26 | B | Well, it's January now ... I think we'll be looking at April or May to improve the existing system. |
| 27 | management | the first question is, do you have support from your senior management? |
| 28 | project request | Yes, that's the next thing you need to do. ... It's called a project request form. |
| 29 | meeting | He's our analyst who will look at the system ... and I'll set up a meeting with him |
| 30 | conference call | I'm used to having conference calls ... and if you could set up a call, that would be great |

## Why these answers are right

**21. C.** The question asks how Dave describes the computer system. He says it no longer suits the way the office works, is over 10 years old and is not good enough now, which means it has become outdated, option C.

**22. A.** You need the main problem with the system. Dave says it sometimes seems to have crashed, but in fact it just takes ages to move from screen to screen, and he calls this the main problem. It is too slow, so A.

**23. B.** The question asks why timetabling has become difficult. Dave says what made it complicated is that many courses now have options, and when Randhir assumes the system can include them, Dave says it cannot. That matches B.

The why and the trap for questions 24 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/the-colleges-student-admission-system-upgrade/answers).

## Transcript

**Announcer:** You will hear a conversation between an admissions officer and a manager from the university's Technologies department.

**Announcer:** First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.

**Randhir:** Hello, I'm Randhir Ghotra from the technologies department.

**Dave:** Ah. Yes, good.

**Dave:** I'm Dave Hadley.

**Dave:** Thanks for coming to see me.

**Randhir:** That's OK.

**Randhir:** I believe you want us to do some work for you.

**Dave:** Yes, that's right.

**Dave:** And I'm responsible for students' admissions to the college, and I use a computer system to help process students' enrollments, and to do the timetabling.

**Dave:** Uh huh. But it really doesn't suit the way we work these days.

**Dave:** It's over 10 years old, and although it was fine when it was first introduced.

**Dave:** It's just not good enough now.

**Randhir:** OK, what problems are you experiencing?

**Dave:** Well, 20 years ago, the college was quite small, and we didn't have the numbers of students or tutors that we have now.

**Randhir:** So the system can't handle the increasing volumes.

**Dave:** Well, there's a lot more data now, and it sometimes seems the system has crashed but, in fact, it just takes ages to go from one screen to the next.

**Randhir:** Right.

**Randhir:** Is that the only problem?

**Dave:** Well, that's the main one, but there are others.

**Dave:** In the past, doing the timetabling was quite simple.

**Dave:** But now we have a lot more courses, and what's made it complicated is that many of them have options.

**Randhir:** Right, but the system should allow you to include those.

**Dave:** Well, no, it doesn't.

**Dave:** It was supposed to, and a few years ago, we did ask someone from the technologies department to fix it.

**Dave:** But they never seemed to have the time.

**Randhir:** Hmm.

**Randhir:** Are there any other issues with the system?

**Dave:** Well, I've been given extra responsibilities, and so I have even less time to do the timetabling.

**Dave:** If there was anything you could do, Randhir, to make the process more efficient, that would be really helpful.

**Randhir:** Well, it sounds like you could do with an assistant, but that's obviously not possible.

**Randhir:** So what about having an online system that students can use to do their scheduling?

**Dave:** How would that work?

**Randhir:** Well, it may mean less choice for students.

**Randhir:** But we could create a fixed schedule of all the courses and options, and they could then view what was available...

**Dave:** And work it out for themselves.

**Dave:** That sounds great.

**Randhir:** OK, so um, we'll need to decide whether or not to improve the existing system or to build a completely new system.

**Dave:** Well, I'd much prefer to have a new system.

**Dave:** Quite frankly, I've had enough of the old one.

**Randhir:** OK, that'll probably take longer, although it may save you money in the long run.

**Randhir:** When were you hoping to have this in place?

**Dave:** Well, it's January now, and the new intake of students will be in September.

**Dave:** We need to start processing admissions.

**Dave:** In the next few weeks.

**Randhir:** Really?

**Randhir:** Hmm, well, it will take more than a few weeks I'm afraid.

**Randhir:** As an initial estimate, I think we'll be looking at April or May to improve the existing system.

**Randhir:** But for a new system, it would take at least nine months.

**Randhir:** That would be October at the earliest.

**Announcer:** Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.

**Dave:** What are the next steps if we are to have a new system?

**Randhir:** Well, the first question is, do you have support from your senior management?

**Dave:** Yes, I've already discussed it with them, and they're also keen to get this work done.

**Randhir:** OK, because I was going to say that's the first thing you need to do, and without that we can't go ahead.

**Dave:** Yes, I've done that.

**Randhir:** That's good.

**Dave:** Actually, they mentioned that there's probably a form I need to complete to formally start the project.

**Randhir:** Yes, that's the next thing you need to do.

**Randhir:** I'll send you an email with a link so you can fill it in online.

**Randhir:** It's called a project request form.

**Dave:** OK, great.

**Dave:** And then what happens?

**Randhir:** Well, I have a list of things, but I think the third thing you should do is see Samir.

**Randhir:** He's our analyst who will look at the system and identify what needs to be done.

**Dave:** OK, can you send me his contact details, and I'll set up a meeting with him?

**Randhir:** OK, that's good.

**Randhir:** So we should soon be able to get a team together to start the work.

**Randhir:** Some members of our team work in different locations, so it's not easy to have face-to-face meetings.

**Dave:** That's OK, I'm used to having conference calls, uh, providing they're not late at night.

**Randhir:** Right, so I'll send you details of the team, and if you could set up a call, that would be great.

**Dave:** OK, I'll do that.

**Randhir:** Thanks.

**Announcer:** That is the end of section 3.

**Announcer:** You now have half a minute to check your answers.

[Practice The College's Student Admission System Upgrade](https://testmigo.com/ielts/listening/the-colleges-student-admission-system-upgrade)