How to prepare for IELTS – Listening
Contents
Page
Details of the listening test 2
The Question Types
1. Multiple choice 4
2. Short answer questions 6
3. Sentence completion questions 9
4. Notes/ table/ form/ summary/ flow chart/diagram
completion questions 10
5. Labelling a diagram which has numbered parts 15
6. Classification questions 17
General Tips for the listening test 20
Make sure you have a copy of the How to prepare for IELTS – FAQs booklet in
addition to this booklet.
1
,How to prepare for IELTS – Listening
Details of the Listening Test
Procedure of the test
The listening module is the first test you do on the test day.
The tape is only played once.
You are given a question paper and an answer sheet. While you listen
you write your answers on the question paper.
When the tape stops you are given 10 minutes to transfer your
answers to the answer sheet.
The test takes about 30 minutes.
Structure of the test
The first two sections are concerned with social needs.
Section 1
In this section you will hear an informal or semi-informal conversation
between two people. For example, you might hear a discussion about
what’s on television; or you might hear someone making a complaint
about their rented flat or a faulty product, or someone asking for
information or making a booking.
Section 2
In this section you will hear a monologue in a similar context to section
1. For example you could hear someone talking about the restaurants
in a town or describing the rules or regulations in a hostel or the
procedure you need to follow in order to make a complaint.
The last two sections are concerned with situations related to
educational or training contexts.
Section 3
In this section you will hear a conversation with up to four speakers.
It will be more formal than Section 1. The speakers could be students
discussing a lecture or planning something for class or talking to
someone in authority at a college or university.
Section 4
In this section you will hear a monologue in the form of a lecture or
talk. It will also be more formal.
All the topics will be of general interest and not biased towards students
of particular disciplines.
2
, How to prepare for IELTS – Listening
Test instructions
At the beginning of each section the speaker will give a brief
introduction to the situation. For example,
You are now going to listen to a conversation in a language school. Paulo is
registering for a course and talking to a lady at the student services counter.
You will then be given instructions:
Read questions 1 to 6. As you listen to the tape, write the correct answer in the
spaces provided.
You are then told to look at the questions:
First you have some time to look at the questions 1 to 6.
The tape will be silent for about 30 seconds. Then the speaker will
repeat which questions you have to answer:
Now listen and answer questions 1 to 6.
Question types*
The types of tasks are:
1. Multiple Choice
2. Short-answer questions
3. Sentence completion
4. Notes/table/summary flow-chart/diagram completion
5. Labelling a diagram which has numbered parts
6.Classification
There are 40 questions in total and about 10 questions in each
section and at least two types of questions in each section. Both the
texts and the tasks increase in difficulty as the test progresses.
Marking
You are given a mark for each of the 40 questions and your result is
converted into a score which corresponds to one of the bands from 1-9
which you will see on your result sheet. You can be awarded a whole or
a half band in the listening section. (See IELTS Handbook: p.20 or Focus
on IELTS: p.7 for details.)
3
Contents
Page
Details of the listening test 2
The Question Types
1. Multiple choice 4
2. Short answer questions 6
3. Sentence completion questions 9
4. Notes/ table/ form/ summary/ flow chart/diagram
completion questions 10
5. Labelling a diagram which has numbered parts 15
6. Classification questions 17
General Tips for the listening test 20
Make sure you have a copy of the How to prepare for IELTS – FAQs booklet in
addition to this booklet.
1
,How to prepare for IELTS – Listening
Details of the Listening Test
Procedure of the test
The listening module is the first test you do on the test day.
The tape is only played once.
You are given a question paper and an answer sheet. While you listen
you write your answers on the question paper.
When the tape stops you are given 10 minutes to transfer your
answers to the answer sheet.
The test takes about 30 minutes.
Structure of the test
The first two sections are concerned with social needs.
Section 1
In this section you will hear an informal or semi-informal conversation
between two people. For example, you might hear a discussion about
what’s on television; or you might hear someone making a complaint
about their rented flat or a faulty product, or someone asking for
information or making a booking.
Section 2
In this section you will hear a monologue in a similar context to section
1. For example you could hear someone talking about the restaurants
in a town or describing the rules or regulations in a hostel or the
procedure you need to follow in order to make a complaint.
The last two sections are concerned with situations related to
educational or training contexts.
Section 3
In this section you will hear a conversation with up to four speakers.
It will be more formal than Section 1. The speakers could be students
discussing a lecture or planning something for class or talking to
someone in authority at a college or university.
Section 4
In this section you will hear a monologue in the form of a lecture or
talk. It will also be more formal.
All the topics will be of general interest and not biased towards students
of particular disciplines.
2
, How to prepare for IELTS – Listening
Test instructions
At the beginning of each section the speaker will give a brief
introduction to the situation. For example,
You are now going to listen to a conversation in a language school. Paulo is
registering for a course and talking to a lady at the student services counter.
You will then be given instructions:
Read questions 1 to 6. As you listen to the tape, write the correct answer in the
spaces provided.
You are then told to look at the questions:
First you have some time to look at the questions 1 to 6.
The tape will be silent for about 30 seconds. Then the speaker will
repeat which questions you have to answer:
Now listen and answer questions 1 to 6.
Question types*
The types of tasks are:
1. Multiple Choice
2. Short-answer questions
3. Sentence completion
4. Notes/table/summary flow-chart/diagram completion
5. Labelling a diagram which has numbered parts
6.Classification
There are 40 questions in total and about 10 questions in each
section and at least two types of questions in each section. Both the
texts and the tasks increase in difficulty as the test progresses.
Marking
You are given a mark for each of the 40 questions and your result is
converted into a score which corresponds to one of the bands from 1-9
which you will see on your result sheet. You can be awarded a whole or
a half band in the listening section. (See IELTS Handbook: p.20 or Focus
on IELTS: p.7 for details.)
3
