IELTS Listening: A Guide
Four recordings, forty questions, heard only once — practised by Philo and Sophia.
•Listening, at a glance
The Listening test is the same for Academic and General Training. You hear four recordings, once only, and answer 40 questions. It lasts about 30 minutes; on paper you then have 10 minutes to transfer your answers, and on computer a couple of minutes to check them.
Part 1
an everyday conversation
Part 2
an everyday monologue
Part 3
an academic discussion
Part 4
an academic lecture
Part 1
- Two people in an everyday situation: booking a holiday, joining a club, reporting a lost bag.
- Mostly form or note completion: names, numbers, dates, addresses.
Part 2
- One speaker on an everyday subject: a tour guide, a radio talk about local facilities.
- Maps and plans, multiple choice, matching.
Part 3
- Up to four people in an educational setting: students and a tutor discussing a project.
- Following opinions and agreement; matching and multiple choice.
Part 4
- A lecture on an academic subject, with no pause in the middle.
- Note, summary or table completion: the most demanding part.
Worked example — Part 1, a form
PhiloSo the recording says: “My surname is Andronikos — that’s A-N-D-R-O-N-I-K-O-S,” and I write it in the form?
SophiaExactly, and spelled perfectly: a wrong letter is a wrong answer. Then listen for the trap: “The class is on Tuesday… oh no, sorry, Tuesday’s full, so Thursday.”
PhiloSo the answer is Thursday, not Tuesday.
SophiaYes. Speakers often correct themselves. Wait for the final answer.
Tips for Listening
- Use the time before each part to read the questions and predict the type of answer: a number, a name, a place?
- Check the word limit: “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS” means two words, not three.
- Spelling and plurals count. Learn the alphabet and numbers perfectly, especially letters like A, E, I and G, J.
- If you miss an answer, let it go and move on: the recording won’t wait.
Listening: raw score to band (approximately)
What separates the bands, in plain English
Based on the published IELTS test format. Score conversions are approximate and vary slightly from test to test. Always check ielts.org for the latest information.