A Guide to IELTS Listening: Format and Question Types
The IELTS Listening Test includes four recordings of native English speakers, and test takers are required to answer a set of questions related to each recording. These recordings consist of:
1. A conversation between two people in an everyday social setting.
2. A monologue in an everyday social setting, such as a speech about local facilities.
3. A conversation between up to four people in an educational or training context, such as a discussion between a university tutor and a student about an assignment.
4. A monologue on an academic topic, such as a university lecture. The assessors will be looking for evidence of your ability to comprehend the primary concepts and detailed information provided, understand the opinions and attitudes expressed by the speakers, identify the purpose of each utterance, and demonstrate your ability to track the development of ideas presented in the recordings.
Each of the four parts of IELTS Listening consist of ten questions. In the IELTS Listening Test, the questions are arranged in a manner that corresponds to the sequence of information presented in the audio recordings. The initial two sections concentrate on common social situations and comprise a dialogue between two speakers (e.g., arranging a trip) in Part 1 and a single speaker discussing a topic such as local amenities in Part 2. The remaining two parts cover educational and training contexts, with Part 3 featuring a conversation between two primary speakers (e.g., university students with a tutor’s guidance) and Part 4 consisting of a monologue on an academic topic. The recordings are played only once and feature different accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand, American, and Canadian.
Time Allocated: Approximately 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes transfer time).
No. of questions: 40
Task types: The IELTS Listening Test includes a range of question types, selected from the following: multiple choice, matching, labeling plans/maps/diagrams, completing forms/ notes/ tables/flow-charts/summaries, and sentence completion.
Marks: Each question is worth 1 mark.
IELTS Listening Test: In-Depth Analysis of Question Types
In multiple choice tasks, there is a question followed by three/four possible answers, or the beginning of a sentence followed by three/four possible ways to complete the sentence. Test takers are required to choose the one correct answer – A, B, C or D. Sometimes, test takers are given a longer list of possible answers and may be required to choose more than one option. In this case, they should read the question carefully to check how many answers are required.
Task focus: Multiple choice questions are used to test a wide range of skills. The test taker may be required to have a detailed understanding of specific points or an overall understanding of the main points of the listening text.
Test takers are required to match a numbered list of items from the listening text to a set of options on the question paper. The set of options may be criteria of some kind. This kind of matching question assesses the skill of observing the details and whether a test taker can understand information given in a conversation on an everyday topic, such as the different types of hotels or guest house accommodation. It also assesses the ability to follow a conversation between two people. It may also be used to assess test takers’ ability to recognize relationships and connections between facts in the listening text.
Test takers are required to complete labels on a plan (e.g. of a building), map (e.g. of part of a town) or diagram (e.g. of a piece of equipment). The answers are usually selected from a list on the question paper.
Task focus: This type of task assesses the ability to understand, for example, a description of a place, and to relate this to a visual representation. This may include being able to follow language expressing spatial relationships and directions (e.g. straight on/through the far door).
Test takers are required to fill in the gaps in an outline of part or of all the listening text. The outline will focus on the main ideas/facts in the text. It may be:
1. a form: often used to record factual details such as names
2. a set of notes: used to summarize any type of information using the layout to show how different items relate to one another
3. a table: used as a way of summarizing information which relates to clear categories – e.g. place/time/price,
4. a flow-chart: used to summarize a process which has clear stages, with the direction of the process shown by arrows.
Test takers may have to select their answers from a list on the question paper or identify the missing words from the recording, keeping to the word limit stated in the instructions. Test takers do not have to change the words from the recording in any way.
Test takers should read the instructions very carefully as the number of words or numbers they should use to fill the gaps will vary. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. Test takers are penalized for writing more than the stated number of words, and test takers should check this word limit carefully for each task. Contracted words will not be tested. Hyphenated words count as single words.
Task focus: This focuses on the main points which a listener would naturally record in this type of situation.
Test takers are required to read a set of sentences summarizing key information from all the listening text or from one part of it. They then fill a gap in each sentence using information from the listening text. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER’. Test takers are penalized for writing more than the stated number of words. (Test takers should check this word limit carefully for each task: the limit is either ONE, TWO or THREE words). Contracted words will not be tested. Hyphenated words count as single words.
Task focus: Sentence completion focuses on the ability to identify the key information in a listening text. Test takers must understand functional relationships such as cause and effect.
Test takers are required to read a question and then write a short answer using information from the listening text. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. Test takers are
Penalized for writing more than the stated number of words. (Test takers should check this word limit carefully for each task.) Contracted words will not be tested. Hyphenated words count as single words. Sometimes test takers are given a question which asks them to list two or three points.
Task focus: Sentence completion focuses on the ability to listen for concrete facts, such as places, prices or times, within the listening text.
Task focus: Sentence completion focuses on the ability to listen for concrete facts, such as places, prices or times, within the listening text.
Listening Band Score as per the number of correct answers:
| Band Score | Correct Answers |
|---|---|
| 9 | 40 - 39 |
| 8.5 | 38 - 37 |
| 8 | 36 - 35 |
| 7.5 | 34 - 32 |
| 7 | 31 - 30 |
| 6.5 | 29 - 26 |
| 6 | 25 - 23 |
| 5.5 | 22 - 18 |
| 5 | 17 - 16 |
| 4.5 | 15 - 13 |
| 4 | 12 - 11 |