The IELTS listening is 30 minutes. It has 4 sections, each with a different audio passage.
Here is a breakdown of each IELTS listening section:
Listening 1
The first listening is a conversation between 2 people. One person asks for information. The other person gives the information.
It has an example listening exercise at the beginning. Use the example to help you prepare for the listening.
Common Tasks:
- Fill in the Blank (Forms, Tables, etc.)
Listening 2
The second listening is a speech by one person about a topic of general interest. It is often an informative speech.
Common Tasks:
- Direction/Map
Listening 3
This listening is a conversation with up to four speakers, usually two, about an academic topic. Often you have to understand opinions/views.
Common Tasks:
- Summary Completion
- Diagram Labelling
- Matching
Listening 4
This section is a lecture or speech on an academic topic. It is usually a lecture by a professor.
Common Tasks:
- Flowchart
The IELTS listening section has a variety of question types. To succeed on this section of the test you need to be familiar with these question types.
1. Have a purpose for listening.
Skim the questions before you begin to listen. This will give you a purpose and an idea of what to listen for.
2. Know the patterns of each question type.
Most are in chronological order.
3. Do not write more words than the maximum given.
This is usually three. Don't write more than they ask for. You will receive a penalty.
4. Be ready for introductions.
Some questions have introductions before they start discussing the answers. They don't have any important information.
5. Be ready for transitional words.
Understand how speakers use transitional words to move from point to point.
6. Think about what type of information is being asked for.
This could be a date, time, name, etc. Understanding what you need to answer makes it easier.
7. Watch out for common distractors.
Just because you hear a word, does not mean it is the answer.
8. Be ready for synonyms.
Synonyms are extremely important. It is not usual for the exact word to be on the paper and in the listening. You are expected to be able to connect synonyms.
9. Be ready for different accents.
The speakers have different accents, for example British or American.
10. Be ready for a conversational tone.
The speakers will use conversational vocabulary, such as slang, idioms, contractions, and reduced pronunciation.
11. Answer every question.
There is no penalty for a wrong answer. Guess if you run out of time.
Here is a breakdown of the most common types of questions in the IELTS listening section:
Multiple Choice
Multiple choice sections are smaller, often containing only 3 questions.
Multiple Choice Tips
- Look at the questions before you listen. Scan each question for key words. Listen for these words in the audio.
- Often, all the choices will be mentioned. Listen for positive and negative words to tell you the correct answer.
- “I like hockey, soccer, and baseball, but my favourite sport is basketball.”
- What is his favourite sport?
- Hockey
- Baseball
- Soccer
- Basketball
- Synonyms are very important in multiple choice. The key words in the questions may not be said exactly in the listening passage.
- Answer the questions in order. They will follow the pattern of the listening passage.
Short Answer
The short answer questions ask you to fill in the blanks with no more than 3 words.
Short Answer Tips
- These answers are in order.
- Use the words before the blanks to help you decide what the answer should be. Here are some common patterns:
- Article + Noun (an _______, some _________)
- Verb + Object (want to ________, tried _______)
Form Completion
These questions ask you to fill in a form with the information you hear on the listening. You need to answer the questions as if you were the person receiving the information.
Form Completion Tips
- These answers are not given in order, so be prepared for any piece of information.
- Predict the answer types. This chart shows you some common answers:
Day
|
Month
|
Year
|
Date
|
Person’s Name
|
Place Name
|
Street Name
|
Address
|
Telephone Number
|
Credit Card Number
|
Money
| |
- Sometimes they spell words for you, especially names of people or places.
- Be ready to understand numbers. Sometimes they say numbers in different ways (e.g. "double 4" or "forty-four")
Summary Completion
Summary Completion Tips
- The answers are in chronological order, so you can follow along with the speaker as you fill in the blanks.
- The speaker often emphasizes the answers. The voice and tone will show you an answer has been said.
- When previewing, get an idea of what goes in the blank (e.g. noun, year, person, etc.)
- "It was built in ___________ (year)"
Flow Chart
The flow chart shows a process or procedure. You are asked to fill in the blanks with no more than a specific number of words.
Flow Chart Tips
- Synonyms are very important in these questions. The words before the blanks will be said in a different way than in the listening passage. For example:
- Displays ______________
- Shows _____________
- Completed sections are often said exactly by the speaker and the words in the blanks use synonyms.
Diagrams
This task asks you to fill in the blanks on parts of a diagram.
Diagram Tips
- The answers are in chronological order, so you can follow along with the speaker.
- Prepositions are very important here, especially for directions. (e.g. beside, behind, between, in front)
- The speaker will talk about the information already labelled, not just the blanks.
- Often, the listening passage is a process, for example, a geographical trip.
With all this information you are ready for the IELTS listening section. Use these tips to succeed.
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