IELTS LISTENING test is similar for both IELTS ACADEMIC and IELTS GENERAL TRAINING.

The Listening module is the 2nd test after Writing module that you will take on the test day. The audio will be played only once. You will be given a question paper and an answer sheet, and you are required to write your answers on the question paper while you listen. Once the tape stops, you will have a period of 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. The test duration is approximately 30 minutes.

The test consists of four sections, with the first two sections focusing on social needs.

PART 1:

This part comprises an informal or semi-formal conversation between two individuals. For instance, you may hear a discussion about the current television programs, an individual making a complaint about their rented flat or a faulty product, or someone seeking information or making a reservation.

PART 2:

This part involves a monologue in a context similar to PART 1. For example, you may hear someone discussing the restaurants in a particular town, describing the rules or regulations in a hostel, or outlining the procedure for making a complaint.

The last two sections focus on situations that relate to educational or training contexts.

PART 3:

This part involves a conversation with up to four speakers. It is more formal than PART 1. The speakers may be students discussing a lecture or planning a class activity, or conversing with someone in authority at a college or university.

PART 4:

This part involves a monologue in the form of a lecture or talk. It is also more formal. All the topics covered will be of general interest and not biased towards students of particular disciplines.

IMPORTANT Tips for IELTS Listening Test

• Please take the time to properly study each question before the recording of any segment starts. This will make it easier to follow the recordings and find the solutions.
• You can read up the questions for the next section after finishing a section.
• Occasionally, a list of choices will be provided. The answers may be given alphabetically, although they may not always be presented in the order you hear them.
• Take note of the word counts in each segment. Follow instructions if they state, “Write no more than two words.” Writing more than the allotted space could result in your attempt at an answer receiving no credit.
• Pay close attention and mark any important terms or synonyms—words that have the same meaning as another word or ones that are almost the same—in the question. This may assist in locating the solution. For example, in the computer-delivered IELTS, you may see on your response sheet or screen, “She is an active person,” if you hear in the tape, “She likes going to the gym and playing tennis.”
• You must be fully conversant with the English alphabet and its pronunciation in order to answer questions requiring you to write down words that are spelled out in the recording. The letter “W,” for example, is pronounced “double-u.”
• Pay close attention to any terms, such as “firstly,” “my next point,” or “to sum up,” that indicate what part of the audio you are now listening to. You can tell which question you have reached by looking at these words.
• You can keep marking the possibilities that don’t fit as you listen to the tape. Finding the best choice is made simpler as a result.
• If you have to mention dates in any answer, remember there are various correct ways to do so (e.g. April 24, 24th April and 24 April – all are correct).
• If you face trouble in answering any question, leave it and move on. Don’t waste time on it and end up panicking. If you have time left in the end, come back to it later.
• When the last recording ends, you have ten minutes to transfer your answers from the Listening booklet to your response sheet if you’re taking the IELTS on paper. It is preferable to wait until the recordings have finished before moving the answers to the answer sheet (rather than in between sections), as you might miss some crucial details on the subsequent segment of the test.

Do note, you do not have an extra 10-minute transfer time in case of IELTS on computer.