Mastering Versant Part D — Understanding Stories and Details | Kōjō Academy

Hey everyone, Grant here from Kōjō Communication Academy 👋

By the time you reach Part D of the Versant Speaking & Listening Test, things start to feel more like real-life English. You'll hear a short story — maybe about someone solving a small problem, learning a lesson, or fixing a mistake — and then you'll answer a few questions about it.

This section checks whether you can listen carefully, follow a short narrative, and explain what happened clearly in your own words.

It's not just about remembering facts — it's about understanding meaning and sequence.

Let's look at how to train your ears, think logically, and answer Part D questions confidently.

🧠 1. What Part D Really Tests

You'll listen to a short passage (usually 20 – 25 seconds long) and then answer three questions about it.

Part D measures your ability to:

🎧 Understand the main idea — what the story is about
🔍 Catch key details — who, where, when, and why
🧩 Follow sequence and cause–effect — what happened first, next, and last
💬 Respond clearly — one complete sentence that directly answers each question

Kōjō tip: Treat this section like you're summarising a short story to a friend. You don't need fancy words — just accuracy, logic, and clear delivery.

📖 2. Example Passage

Here's one Versant-style example:

Passage:

David was rushing to leave for work when he realized he couldn't find his car keys.

He searched everywhere in his apartment but couldn't find them.

Then he remembered gardening the previous evening.

He went outside and finally found the keys in the flowerbed.

He learned to be more careful with them in the future.

1️⃣ What was David looking for?

✅ He was looking for his car keys.

2️⃣ Where did he find them?

✅ He found them in the flowerbed.

3️⃣ What did he learn from this experience?

✅ He learned to be more careful with his keys.

Kōjō tip:

Think of each Part D passage as a mini-story with four stages:

1️⃣ A situation or problem appears
2️⃣ The person takes action
3️⃣ Something changes or is resolved
4️⃣ There's a final result or lesson

If you can follow these stages, you'll understand the whole passage — even if you miss one or two words.

🔎 3. Common Passage Types & What to Listen For

Type	Examples	Focus On
🏠 Everyday Life & Relationships	Forgetting an appointment, running late, misunderstanding a friend	Who did what, how they felt, how it ended
💼 Work & Practical Life	A delayed meeting, technical issue, customer complaint	The problem, the solution, the result
🔧 Mistakes & Lessons Learned	Losing a wallet, buying the wrong item, missing a train	The mistake, how they fixed it, what they learned

Essential skills:

✔️ Catch the main event quickly
✔️ Track sequence — first, then, after that, finally
✔️ Identify cause and effect — because, so, as a result
✔️ Infer meaning — sometimes the answer is implied, not said directly

🗝️ 4. Grammar & Vocabulary Focus

Most passages are written at the A2 – B2 CEFR level, using everyday words and natural phrasing.

You'll hear a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Common patterns:

Simple past: "Mark forgot his keys."
Cause & effect: "Because the projector wasn't working, he called IT."
Sequence connectors: "After Sarah decorated the park, her friends arrived."
Relative clauses: "The colleague who helped Mark was from IT."

Vocabulary themes:

🎂 Personal life – birthday, surprise, invitation, guest
💼 Work life – presentation, colleague, schedule, IT department
🔧 Problems – lost, broken, delayed, fixed, realized

Kōjō tip: Match your grammar to the passage. If the question is in past tense ("What happened?"), answer in past tense ("It happened yesterday."). That small detail shows clear listening and grammar awareness.

✍️ 5. Note-Taking — A Smart Listening Strategy

Officially, the Versant test says note-taking isn't required.

But personally, I always encourage my learners to take short English notes while practising — and even during the real test if possible.

Why?

Because in business, school, and real communication, you take notes to avoid mistakes. It helps you organise ideas, remember details, and practise English writing at the same time.

Kōjō tip:

Write short, clear notes — not full sentences.

Example:

📝 David – car keys – searched – garden – found – lesson: careful next time.

These few keywords can help you recall answers quickly and accurately.

💪 6. Tips for Excelling

⭐
Catch the main idea first. Don't get stuck on details before knowing what the story is about.
⭐
Listen for sequence words — first, then, after that, finally.
⭐
Picture the story — visualising helps memory.
⭐
Use full sentences — "He called the IT department." not just "IT department."
⭐
Match the question's tense and grammar.
⭐
Stay confident — answer even if unsure. A clear, partial answer is better than silence.

Kōjō tip: Don't aim for perfection — aim for understanding and clarity. The goal is communication, not memorisation.

🧩 7. Self-Study Ideas

📱 Use Versant Pro Trainer — practise Part D sets regularly to build listening stamina.
🎙️ Listen to your recordings on the review page — compare with model answers and refine clarity.
🎧 Listen to short English stories or news clips — summarise each in 2 – 3 sentences.
🗒️ Ask yourself who / what / where / why after listening to anything in English.
🗣️ Shadow short passages — imitate rhythm and intonation to improve fluency.

🌟 8. Final Thoughts

Part D is one of the best sections for improving your real-world listening and reasoning.

It's not about speed or memorisation — it's about understanding the story and responding clearly.

So remember:

✅ Listen for meaning
✅ Track the sequence
✅ Answer in one clear sentence

Keep practising with Versant Pro Trainer, and you'll soon find yourself following stories easily, remembering details naturally, and speaking with clarity and confidence.

Stay consistent, stay curious — and keep training your listening muscles 🧠💪

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👨‍🏫

Grant Prentice

Founder, Kōjō Communication Academy

Grant is a native English speaker from the UK with over 20 years of experience in business English training and Versant test preparation. He's helped thousands of professionals improve their communication skills and achieve their career goals.

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