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Note-taking guide / Worked examples

Hear the detail.
Keep it on paper.

Three original dialogue segments show how to note numbers, conditions and a document list. Listen, look at the paper cues, then interpret into Mandarin. The same note structure can be used when practising another language.

Edition 1.0 · Published · Revision 0e781f6065b0

See the first example · Try a different dialogue

Use a pen and loose paper. These are study diagrams, not a typing exercise or a record of a real candidate’s work. Keep your notes short enough to follow the speaker. See the existing guide for paper-note rules and its dated sources.

Numbers: keep the unit and frequency

Original English–Mandarin dialogue: High Blood Pressure Consultation, segment 7 · Link to this example

English → 中文 · 7

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What you hear

Reducing salt is one of the most effective changes. Also try to walk for thirty minutes a day, five days a week if you can.

What to keep when you speak

The two figures have different units: thirty minutes each day, on five days each week. Keep “if you can”; do not turn advice into an unconditional instruction. The salt reduction belongs in the interpretation too.

Paper note example: salt ↓; walk 30 min / day; 5 days / week; if ablesalt ↓walk 30 min / day5 days / weekif able
One possible paper layout. Read it at a glance, then interpret the whole meaning in the speaker’s first person. These cues do not replace the rest of the sentence.

Conditions: keep the negative and the order

Original English–Mandarin dialogue: Rental Bond Dispute, segment 11 · Link to this example

English → 中文 · 11

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What you hear

Write to the agent first and attach your evidence. If they do not respond within a reasonable time, lodge your application and keep copies of everything.

What to keep when you speak

Write to the agent and attach evidence first. Applying is conditional on no response within a reasonable time. There is no fixed number of days in this segment: do not invent one. Keep copies of everything.

Paper note example: 1 → agent + evidence; IF no reply; within reasonable time; 2 → apply + keep copies1 → agent + evidenceIF no replywithin reasonable time2 → apply + keep copies
One possible paper layout. Read it at a glance, then interpret the whole meaning in the speaker’s first person. These cues do not replace the rest of the sentence.

A list: one mark for each document

Original English–Mandarin dialogue: Overseas Licence Conversion, segment 9 · Link to this example

English → 中文 · 9

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What you hear

Bring your passport, proof of address, your licence, and a translation by an approved translator if it is not in English.

What to keep when you speak

There are three unconditional documents and a conditional translation. Keep “approved translator” when you speak; the short note is only a cue. Do not turn the fourth item into a requirement for everyone.

Paper note example: 1 passport; 2 proof of address; 3 licence; 4 translation IF not EN1 passport2 proof of address3 licence4 translation IF not EN
One possible paper layout. Read it at a glance, then interpret the whole meaning in the speaker’s first person. These cues do not replace the rest of the sentence.

Now try a different dialogue

This segment comes from a fourth dialogue, not any of the examples above. Keep the transcript closed. Listen once, write your own paper notes, and interpret into Mandarin before checking.

English → 中文 · 3

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Check after interpreting
Great, thank you. Could you please show me your driver's licence, the signed transfer form, and the receipt showing the purchase price of $8,000?

Check each document separately: the driver’s licence, the signed transfer form, and the receipt showing the purchase price of $8,000. Keep the question as a request for the documents; do not substitute other paperwork or lose the amount.

Compare the information you conveyed, not whether your symbols match ours. This self-check gives no score and does not measure improvement. Use the regular practice link above to interpret the full dialogue; the usual sign-in and allowance rules apply.

Source: Transferring a Used Car Registration, segment 3.

For a class or reading list

naaticcl.com. Paper-note examples: numbers, conditions and lists. Edition 1.0, 2026-11-06, revision 0e781f6065b0. https://naaticcl.com/naati-ccl-note-taking-examples. Link directly to an example using #numbers, #conditions or #list. Please include the edition and your access date when citing it.

All four audio excerpts and transcripts come from our original practice dialogues. They are fictional study situations, not exam papers or advice about healthcare, benefits or legal rights. No student notes, recordings or results are published here.

For other reusable resources: dated test-date observations · source-linked Nepali word list · copy resource links for your class.

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