IELTS Listening
Four recordings, from an everyday phone call to a university lecture. You hear each recording ONCE.
- Format
- About 30 minutes · 4 parts · 40 questions
- Scoring
- 1 mark per correct answer. Roughly 30/40 ≈ band 7, 23/40 ≈ band 6, 16/40 ≈ band 5.
Part 1 · Everyday conversation
Two people talk about an everyday situation — booking, renting, registering.
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Format
- 10 questions, usually form, note or table completion
- Answers are names, numbers, dates, addresses and prices
- Spelling counts: a misspelt answer is wrong
Question types
Form completionNote completionTable completion
Tips
- Read the form before the audio starts and guess what kind of word fits each gap (a number? a name? a day?).
- Names are often spelt out letter by letter — write each letter as you hear it.
- Speakers often change their mind ("Tuesday… no, actually Wednesday"). The last answer counts.
- Check the word limit: "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER".
- 1Hiring a car for a weekend tripB110 questions4 min
- 2Booking a birthday party at a climbing centreB110 questions4 min
- 3Booking a homestay for a summer courseB110 questions4 min
- 4Enrolling in an evening photography courseB110 questions3 min
- 5Joining a sports centreB110 questions4 min
- 6Registering at a new doctor's surgeryB110 questions4 min
- 7Reporting a bag lost on a trainB110 questions4 min
- 8Viewing a flat to rentB110 questions3 min
Part 2 · Everyday monologue
One speaker talks about a place, an event or a service — a tour, a radio talk, a welcome talk.
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Format
- 10 questions
- Multiple choice, matching, map or plan labelling, note completion
- The information follows the order of the questions
Question types
Multiple choiceMatchingPlan / map labellingNote completion
Tips
- Underline the key words in each question and listen for synonyms, not the same words.
- In multiple choice, all three options are usually mentioned — listen for which one is actually true.
- For maps, find the starting point first and follow the speaker's directions ("on your left", "opposite").
- 1A guided tour of a historic gardenB110 questions3 min
- 2A new city bike-share schemeB110 questions3 min
- 3A radio talk on a new nature reserveB210 questions4 min
- 4A talk about the new community arts centreB110 questions4 min
- 5An introduction to a summer music festivalB110 questions4 min
- 6Volunteering at the local libraryB110 questions3 min
Part 3 · Academic discussion
Two to four students (sometimes with a tutor) discuss a project, an assignment or a seminar.
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Format
- 10 questions
- Multiple choice, matching opinions to people, sentence completion
- Faster speech and more speakers than Parts 1–2
Question types
Multiple choiceMatchingSentence completion
Tips
- Learn each speaker's voice and name early — many questions ask who thinks what.
- Listen for agreement and disagreement ("I'm not so sure about that", "Exactly").
- An idea is often suggested and then rejected — wait for the final decision.
- 1A field trip on coastal erosionB210 questions4 min
- 2A presentation on urban beekeepingB210 questions4 min
- 3A research project on food wasteB29 questions4 min
- 4A survey on student sleepB29 questions4 min
- 5Planning a marketing case studyB29 questions4 min
- 6Planning a seminar on renewable energyB210 questions4 min
Part 4 · Academic lecture
One speaker gives a lecture on an academic subject. There is no break in the middle.
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Format
- 10 questions, usually note or summary completion
- Academic vocabulary, longer sentences
- The notes follow the structure of the lecture
Question types
Note completionSummary completionFlow-chart completion
Tips
- Use the headings in the notes to keep your place in the lecture.
- Signpost words tell you a new point is coming: "Turning now to…", "Another reason is…".
- The answer is usually a word the speaker actually says — you rarely need to change its form.