The four parts
| Part | What you hear | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A conversation between two people in an everyday situation | Booking a room, joining a gym |
| 2 | One person speaking about an everyday topic | A guide describing a museum's facilities |
| 3 | A conversation between up to four people in a study or training setting | Students discussing an assignment with a tutor |
| 4 | One person giving a talk on an academic subject | A short university lecture |
Each part has 10 questions, and the parts get harder as you go. Your number of correct answers is converted to a band: see the band score calculator.
Paper or computer
On paper, you write answers on the question paper while listening, then get 10 minutes at the end to transfer them to the answer sheet. On computer, you type as you listen and get 2 minutes at the end to check.
The question types
- Form, note, table, flow-chart and summary completion: write the missing words or numbers.
- Multiple choice: one answer, or two or three from a longer list.
- Matching: match statements to a list of options (people, places, opinions).
- Plan, map or diagram labelling: label places or parts as the speaker describes them.
- Sentence completion and short answer questions.
Where easy marks are lost
The speaker changes their mind
“The meeting's on Tuesday… actually, no, it's been moved to Thursday.” Part 1 in particular is full of corrections. The final answer is the one that counts.
Spelling and plurals
Names are often spelt out letter by letter: listen for them. A missing plural s or a misspelling makes the answer wrong.
Word limits
“ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER” means exactly that. An extra word loses the mark.
Use the reading time
Before each part you get time to read the questions. Use it to predict what kind of answer each gap needs: a number, a day, a name, a plural noun.
Questions
How long is the IELTS Listening test?+
About 30 minutes of recordings. On paper there are 10 extra minutes to transfer answers; on computer there are 2 minutes to check them.
Can I hear the recording twice?+
No. Each recording is played only once, which is why reading the questions in advance matters so much.
Is IELTS Listening the same for Academic and General Training?+
Yes. Both take the same Listening test and use the same conversion from correct answers to band.
Are British and American spellings both accepted?+
Yes. Either British or American spelling is accepted, as long as the word is spelt correctly.