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IELTS Listening

All you want to know

About Listening

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You will listen to four recordings of native English speakers and then write your answers to a series of questions.

Section 1 is a conversation between two people set in an everyday context (e.g. a conversation in an accommodation agency).

Section 2 is a monologue set in an everyday social context (e.g. a speech about local families).

Section 3 is a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context (e.g. a university tutor and student discussing an assignment).

Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject (e.g. a university lecture).

Assessors will be looking for evidence of your ability to understand the main ideas and detailed factual information, the opinions and attitudes of speakers, the purpose of an utterance and evidence of your ability to follow the development of ideas.

Listening

Tips & Tricks

Strategies For Listening

if you cannot hear the audio clearly, let a member of staff know straightaway. follow the instructions carefully; they may be different to practice or previous tests. listen for the specific information you want. try and anticipate what the speaker will say; this will require concentration. do not worry if there is a word you do not understand; you may not need to use it.

if you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move quickly onto the next one. be careful with your spelling and grammar. do not panic if you think the topic is too difficult or the speaker is too fast; relax and tune in. read, write and listen at the same time. focus precisely on what you are asked to do in completion type questions

pay attention to the word limit; for example, if you are asked to complete a sentence using no more than two words, if the correct answer is ‘leather coat’, the answer ‘coat made of leather’ would be incorrect

if the question asks you to complete the note ‘in the…’ and the correct answer is ‘morning’, note that ‘in the morning’ would be incorrect; the correct answer is 'morning'

attempt all questions; there are no penalties for incorrect answers. check your answers

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