The IELTS Listening test is designed to check how well you understand different speakers, accents, and real-life situations. With the right strategies, you can increase accuracy, avoid losing marks due to distraction, and build strong listening skills for all four sections.
● Total time: 30 minutes (+ extra 10 minutes for answer transfer in paper-based test)
● 4 sections, getting harder as they progress
● 40 questions in total
● Includes monologues, conversations, academic discussions, and problem-solving tasks
Common question types:
● Fill in the blanks
● Multiple choice
● Maps and diagrams
● Matching information
● Sentence/summary completion
Conclusion: The IELTS Listening test becomes much easier once you master strategies like previewing questions, predicting answers, avoiding distractors, and staying focused on the audio. With consistent practice, you can significantly increase your accuracy and achieve a high band score.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 30-40 seconds to prepare, depending on the length of the passage. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are only able to record your response once.
The audio begins to plays automatically. When the audio finishes, the microphone opens and the recording status box shows “Recording”. Speak into the microphone immediately (there is no short tone) and repeat exactly what you heard.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are not able to replay the audio. You are only able to record your response once.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 25 seconds to study the image and prepare your response. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are only able to record your response once.
The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image related to the audio. After the audio finishes, you have 10 seconds to prepare.
The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are only able to record your response once.
The audio begins to play automatically. You may also see an image.
When the audio finishes, the microphone opens and the recording status box shows “Recording”. Speak into the microphone immediately (there is no short tone) and answer the question with one or a few words.
You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.
Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.
You are not able to replay the audio. You are only able to record your response once.
Before the audio starts:
● Spend the preview time reading the questions.
● Highlight keywords like names, numbers, places, and question words (what/when/where/how many).
● Predict the type of information needed (a date, a number, a reason, etc.).
Benefit:
Your brain knows exactly what to listen for when the recording begins.
The audio plays only once.
Stay focused on the speaker, not the question list.
Why?
In IELTS Listening, speakers often:
● Change their answers
● Correct themselves
● Provide distractors
Example:
“We planned to meet on Friday… oh no, sorry, I meant Saturday. ”If you’re reading instead of listening, you’ll miss it.
Before the speaker says the answer, predict:
● Is it a number?
● A name?
● A location?
● A verb or noun?
Benefit:
Your ear becomes sharper and you catch answers quickly — especially in Sections 3 and 4.
If you miss one blank or one MCQ:
● Move on immediately
● Do NOT panic and do NOT rewind in your mind
Benefit:
You avoid missing more answers.
IELTS often uses misleading information:
Example:
“The ticket was originally $20, but we got a discount and paid $15.”
Most students write $20 — but the real answer is $15.
Tip:
Always listen until the speaker finishes the full idea.
If the instruction says:
● ONE WORD ONLY → write only one word
● NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS → do not write three
Mistakes in word limits = automatic loss of marks.
Write your answers clearly when you transfer them (paper test):
● Check spellings
● Check capital letters for names
● Check numbers
A correct answer spelled incorrectly = wrong.
