IELTS LISTENING
IELTS LISTENING
- The IELTS listening test divides into four sections; moreover, each section becomes increasingly difficult. You only hear each section once.
- The time for the test is 40 minutes. The listening takes 30 minutes, but you then have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet with a total of 40 questions.
- The recordings use a dialect that reflects the international nature of IELTS.
TYPE OF SECTIONS IELTS LISTENING
SECTION 1 IELTS listening
For example, a phone call to a travel agency. You typically listen for specific details like the person’s name, address, and phone number. Read the previous article.
SECTION 2 IELTS LISTENING
Typical examples include someone giving details about services, arrangements, or facilities. It will be general interest. You can expect different types of questions.
SECTION 3 IELTS LISTENING
For example, a college assignment or a post-lecture discussion. There can be up to four people talking, and you will most likely have to track their attitudes and opinions.
SECTION 4 IELTS LISTENING
QUESTION TYPES IELTS LISTENING
ELTS listening
1.Matching IELTS LISTENING
Matching questions are especially common in Section 1 where you’re required to listen for detail in a conversation between two people. You will have to match the items in two lists of options. In the sample question below, for example, you must match the hotels (A – E) with the descriptions (1 – 4). Expect synonyms and paraphrasing to be used. For example, in the recording, the speaker might say that the hotel is ‘located in the countryside or ‘away from the town’ rather than ‘is in a rural area’.
2. Multiple Choice IELTS LISTENING
In multiple choice questions, you are required to choose the correct answer from a shortlist (usually 3 words or phrases). Often the answers will look similar in meaning so you will need to listen very carefully. Don’t just select the first answer you hear. In this sample test, the answers to questions 26 to 30 are either option A, B or C.
Synonyms and paraphrasing will be used in the recording. For example, the speaker might say ’soon’ rather than ‘in the near future’ for answer B.
3. Sentence Completion IELTS LISTENING
This is a gap fill type question. You must listen to the recording and fill in the missing words in the sentences to complete them. You may have to add the ending to the sentences or fill in words within the sentences.
In this sample question, you have to complete four sentences using no more than two words for each answer.
Don’t expect to hear the exact words written in the questions. The speaker will most likely paraphrase the information. For example, in question 28, the phrase ‘studying and working at the same time’ is replaced in the recording with ‘I had to fit time for studying round a full-time job’.
4. Form Completion IELTS LISTENING
Form completion questions often come up in Section 1, which is a conversation between two people, but do appear in other sections too. The most common type is an application or an order form.
It’s generally easy to predict what information you’ll need to listen out for. In this sample question, for example, the answers will be a surname, a street name, a postcode, the type of item ordered and a number for how many items are ordered.
Watch out for distractors where information is given but then corrected or changed, for example,
“I’d like to order two, please. No, wait a minute. I’ll have three so that I can give one to my mum as well as my sister.”
5. Note Completion IELTS LISTENING
This type of question can take many different forms. It will be a gap fill activity of some sort where you have to fill in the missing words. This could, for example, be missing words in a set of notes from a lecture.
Pay close attention to how many words or numbers you can write for the answer.
The recording features a radio broadcast about The National Arts Centre. Fill in 6 pieces of missing information about the center.
6. Table Completion IELTS LISTENING
Table completion questions also require you to fill in missing information. The table will be made up of columns and rows containing information.
Tables generally categorise information, that is, they group pieces of information that are related in some way or share the same features.
This sample question follows on from the notes completion question we’ve just looked at and is also about The National Arts Centre. There are 4 pieces of missing information that need to be filled in.
7. Summary Completion IELTS LISTENING
The Listening test gets more difficult as you progress through it and summary completion questions often come up in Section 4, the most challenging part of the test.
You’ll receive a summary of the recording, usually a monologue on an academic topic like a lecture on wildlife. You need to fill in the missing words from the summary, as synonyms and paraphrasing will be used extensively.
This sample question is a summary of a lecture on the Caveman Diet with 5 pieces of information missing.
8. Short Answer Questions IELTS LISTENING
This is another type of question where you must identify specific information about a topic.
his is especially common in Section 2, which features a monologue in an everyday social context, such as a welcome talk for new college students.
Listen to the recording and write a short answer in each blank space provided. Sometimes, you’ll need to provide more than one answer, like identifying ‘the TWO major concerns new students have regarding accommodation.’
The recording for this sample question is an extract from a talk given to a group visiting the UK. You’ll answer three questions, with two answers required for each.
9. Plan / Map / Diagram Labelling IELTS LISTENING
For this type of question, you’ll get a plan of a building, a map of a location, or a diagram and need to fill in the missing labels.
Many students find these one of the easiest question types to answer because the graphic will contain lots of clues as to the missing words, especially in the labels already present.
In addition to the plan, map, or diagram, you might receive a list of words to choose from for the correct answers. This is the case in the sample plan below. In this question, the speaker is the librarian of a new town library talking to a group of people who are visiting the library.
Here’s an example of a typical diagram question. The recording for this question features a seminar by a climate scientist on ocean research. You need to fill in three pieces of missing information on the diagram.
10. Flowchart Completion IELTS LISTENING
A flowchart shows the steps of a process. The process will have a start and an end with several steps in between.
It could cover almost anything broken down into stages, such as the outline of a lecture or essay, an application process, stages of a training course, or a short manufacturing process.
The graphic in this sample question shows the 3 stages of a project to design a water treatment system. It’s a Section 3 question so the recording will be a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context. In this case, the conversation is between a peer tutor and an engineering student who needs help with their project.
Strategy & Tips IELTS LISTENING
1.Read the instructions
Read the instructions carefully and pay close attention to the word limit for your answer, as it can vary. The instructions for our sample question state that you must,
Write ONLY ONE WORD for each answer.
The instructions for the Caveman Diet question, on the other hand, state that you must,
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
If you write more than the required number of words, the system will mark your answer incorrect, even if the information is correct.
2. Look for a title
Not every question will have a title but if there is one, it will tell you the context of the question. This will help you understand the question and give you a major clue about the type of information in the recording.
Both our sample questions have titles. These are:
Origins of the Caveman Diet
3. Answer order
The recording will present the answers in the same order as they appear in the question. For this question, you’ll hear answer 32 first, then answer 33 and so on. This makes it easier to pick out the answers than if they were in a random order.
4. Predict the answers
Try to predict what the answers might be. This will focus your mind on what to listen out for in the recording.
Occasionally, you’ll be able to predict the actual word but mostly it’s one or more of these things that you’ll be able to determine:
- The type of information required, e.g. name of a person, place name, number, date.
- The type of word required, e.g. noun, adjective, verb.
Predictions:
32 – a noun
33 – a date
You can see that just a few seconds spend doing this can give you a lot of information about what you need to listen for in the recording. This will greatly improve your chances of identifying the correct answers.
5. Synonyms and paraphrasing
The recording will extensively use synonyms and paraphrasing. You’ll need to listen not just for the exact words in the summary but also for different words and phrases with the same meaning.
During your preparation time, scan the summary and underline key words that you might replace with synonyms. Focus on words immediately before and possibly after the missing word(s), and quickly think of alternative words that could replace them.
I’ve underlined some important key words in our practice question. Can you think of some synonyms for them?
Sydney Opera House is famous for its roof’s architecture resembling 32 ………. . The opera house was designed by Jørn Utzon from Denmark and it was built between 1959 and 33 ……………. . .
The roof is covered with more than 1 million roof tiles which were manufactured in 34 ……………. . Every evening the roof is lit up in a 35 ……………. spectacle.
The opera house has a variety of performance halls and theatre and exhibition spaces. More than 36 ……………. shows are staged there every week. Every year, more than 8 million visitors visit this Australian landmark.
We’ll review the synonyms and paraphrasing used in this question when we go over the answers.
6. Problematic vocabulary
Students often face problems with 6 types of vocabulary, which frequently appear in summary completion questions. The 6 types are:
- Time
- Numbers
- Prices
- Dates
- Letters
- Addresses
7. Watch out for distractors
The examiners may try to catch you out with distractors. Specifically, a distractor is a word or phrase that changes or corrects the original piece of information given. Consequently, you might receive an answer only to have it taken away again.
For example, here are two sample sentences containing distractors. I’ve highlighted the relevant words.
- The venue is most famous for its operatic performances but pop concerts are equally as popular today.
- The initial estimate to build the Sydney Opera House was $7 million, but the final cost soared to $102 million, which the State Lottery largely covered.
Speakers commonly use ‘but’ and ‘however’ as distractors; however, many other words and phrases can change or correct information. Consequently, stay alert for these alternatives.
8. Guess if necessary
My final tip is to never leave a blank space on the answer sheet. Instead, if you miss an answer, then take an educated guess. By doing this, you give yourself at least some chance of getting it right. Furthermore, don’t stress about a missed answer; otherwise, it will affect your ability to answer the next set of questions. Simply make your choice and move on.
