The exam is still a long way off, but I don't think we should neglect preparing for it from the very start, especially at an intermediate level, where there seems to be such a different philosophy between the textbook and the exam activities.
Here it is a web page that can be really helpful for you, especially as far as listening comprehension is concerned: News English lessons.
Make it a habit to do a lesson on a regular basis. You can download everything you need, from audio files, to exercises, to transcripts to answers. On top of that, you can subscribe to the feed for free.