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IELTS Listening

IELTS Listening practice

The Listening test has four recordings and 40 questions and takes about 30 minutes. You hear each recording once. Part 1 is an everyday conversation, Part 2 an everyday talk, Part 3 an academic discussion and Part 4 a lecture.

Take the free practice test with audio below, then use the guides to fix the question types you missed. Most marks are lost to spelling, plurals and word limits, not to hard vocabulary.

Time
about 30 minutes
Recordings
4, heard once
Questions
40, one mark each
Band 7
about 30 correct answers
IELTS Listening practice test
Free, no sign-up, answers and band score included.
Start the practice test →

IELTS Listening guides

Form, note and table completion
How to answer IELTS Listening form, note and table completion
Listening multiple choice
How to answer IELTS Listening multiple choice, including 'choose TWO letters'
Listening matching questions
How to answer IELTS Listening matching questions
Map and plan labelling
How to answer IELTS Listening map, plan and diagram labelling
Sentence and summary completion
How to answer IELTS Listening sentence and summary completion
Flow-chart completion
How to answer IELTS Listening flow-chart completion
Spelling, numbers and dates
How to get IELTS Listening spelling, numbers, dates and prices right

Listening test hacks

Predict the gap before you hear it
In the seconds before each part, read the notes and decide what kind of word fits each gap: a number, a time, a name, a noun, an adjective.
Why it works: You'll know what to listen for, so the answer jumps out instead of slipping past.
Wait for the correction
Speakers often give one answer and then change it. Don't write the first thing you hear; keep listening until the sentence finishes.
Why it works: Self-corrections are a classic IELTS distractor.
Spelling counts, capitals don't
A misspelled answer is marked wrong. You can write answers in capital letters if that makes your spelling clearer.
Why it works: Easy marks are lost to spelling every day. Names are often spelled out letter by letter, so be ready.
Obey the word limit exactly
If the instruction says "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS", a three-word answer is wrong, even if the meaning is right.
Why it works: Word limits are strictly applied in Listening and Reading.
Teens or tens? Listen to the stress
Fifteen and fifty sound alike. In "fifTEEN" the stress is at the end; in "FIFty" it's at the start, and the T is softer.
Why it works: Numbers come up in every Listening test, and teen and ten numbers are easy to confuse.
Check units and plurals
Look at what's printed around the gap. If the note already says "£ ___ per week", write only the number.
Why it works: Repeating a word that's already printed can break the word limit, and a missing plural S can make an answer wrong.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Listening recording played twice?

No. Each recording is played once, so use the time before each part to read the questions and predict the answers.

How long do I get to transfer my answers?

On the paper test you get 10 minutes at the end to copy your answers onto the answer sheet. On the computer test you type as you listen and get two minutes to check.

Can I write my answers in capital letters?

Yes. Capitals are accepted; what matters is the spelling and keeping to the word limit.

How many correct answers is band 7 in Listening?

About 30 out of 40; 23 is roughly band 6 and 35 roughly band 8.

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