IELTS Listening Test Format and IELTS Practice Test Listening

Everything you need to know to score a high in the IELTS Listening

Test

Doing badly in IELTS listening tests is a real possibility faced by numerous students. Listening
to the audio, making notes, and writing answers all together in a short time span often leads to
unforced errors. With millions of tips and videos on how to score well in IELTS Listening, the
information is all but scattered, hard to find and difficult to digest.

So if you are preparing for IELTS and are worried about the Listening section, here is everything
you need to know to score high without being overwhelmed by the section.

Know the test format

IELTS Listening Test has four sections in which the first section offers an everyday conversation
while the 2nd one is a general monologue. The 3rd section is a conversation with multiple people
in an academic setting while the last section is an academic monologue. You are expected to
listen attentively and fill in the blanks with information in the conversation or the monologue.

• Section 1: Everyday conversation

• Section 2: General monologue
• Section 3: Conversation in an academic setting
• Section 4: Academic monologue

Remember you only listen ‘ONCE’

You get to listen to the conversation or monologue only once. It is important to make sure you
have practiced with mock tests by listening only once. If not get used to it by opting for listening
tests here. You can find tests with varied listening situations to ensure you are covered with all
conversation types.

Make yourself familiar with accents

IELTS being an international test can have the audio in varied accents. From Australian, British,
to American, sometimes a lack of exposure to these accents can dent the student’s confidence. If
you find yourself in the same boat, the best way is to opt for more practice tests. A mix match of
these tests will ensure you get ample practice for each recorded accent. It is essential to opt for
practice tests from a center that offers a mix of accents for you to cover any such eventuality on
D-day

Read the instructions carefully.

Many students in their quest to start answering commit the mistake of overlooking basic
instructions. Always make sure you have read the instructions carefully. For example, the
question may ask you to write no more than one word and/or a number. Overlooking this
important essential is easy, and you may end up giving completely wrong answers.

Attempt all questions but check spelling and grammar.

There are no penalties for an incorrect answer so attempting all questions is a good idea.
However, the focus must be to ensure minimal wrong answers. Remember any spelling mistake
is one of the big reasons for a high number of incorrect answers. Work on your spelling well as
you test yourself in practice tests.

Opt for extensive practice tests.

When talent meets hard work, hard work will win most of the times. Practice, practice, and
practice is the key to score well in IELTS listening. Check out https://www.fourmodules.com for
a great source of IELTS listening tests to ensure you are well-prepared.

There are four sections in the IELTS Listening Test. Each section has their own strategies to
solve. Following are some tips and practices of all the four sections of IELTS Listening Test.

• IELTS Listening TIPS and PRACTICES: Section 1

Well begun is half done it is said. The same holds true for any test including your IELTS Listening
tests. The benefits of cracking the first section hold far more significance than probably any other
section. Not only can it give you a confidence boost for the remaining sections, but the section is
also one of the relative easier sections of the test.

Here are some simple but effective tips that must be a part of your IELTS Listening preparation to
crack the first section allowing you to get off to a great start.

Know the conversation backdrop.

The audio content in the first section plays out a conversation between two people set in an
everyday social context. The conversation is usually a telephonic conversation. Knowing the
backdrop of the conversation can help you predict the type of communication between the two
individuals.

Make note of essential information.

Look out for specific information shared in the communications. Things like numbers, dates, days
of the week, names, etc. are all important as they can be part of the questions that follow. This
smaller information is in fact usually more important that the conversational flow as they are part
of note completion or form filling questions.

Glance through all the 10 questions before answering.

Before listening to the conversation, it is a good idea to go through all the 10 questions before
answering. This will help you in understanding the type of questions and blanks left in the
questionnaire. Some answers in the section can be easy to predict and help you save time. Also
checking the questions will help you understand if the answer is to be given in numeric form or
otherwise.

For example, 33 and thirty-three are not the same and can be the difference between a wrong
answer given quickly without reading the question.

The key lies in listening attentively.

A common tweaking done in the first section is to smartly change the obvious answer. So if you
are not paying attention to the audio, chances of missing the tweak are high.
For example, if two people are conversing and the first speaker asks when the other would be
available. ‘On Monday’ may say the 2nd person but then can add, ‘Oh but wait, I may be busy this
Monday, how about Wednesday?’ Unless you are listening attentively, chances of missing out on
Wednesday over Monday are quite high.

Practice listening to everyday conversations around you can be a great lesson. Also, look out for
well-designed Section 1 mock tests. Attentive listening can be developed over a period of time.
All it requires is practicing these mock tests and developing a little bit of patience.

Cut out the silly mistakes.

Cutting out the silly mistakes can be a difference between getting a few wrong answers to bringing
them to zero. For example, when answering a numeric question check whether the unit is to be
written in the answer or not. $10 and 10 may look the same but can be the difference between a
wrong answer owing to a silly mistake of adding a prefix not warranted in the question.

• IELTS Listening TIPS and PRACTICES: Section 2

Worried about answering questions related to IELTS listening section 2? Let me start with the bad
news first which is that this Section will require slightly more focus and attention than the first
section. Now before you get discouraged, here is the good news. This section offers audio which
is a monologue. This means there will only be one person involved in the conversation. You no
longer have to worry about multiple people, their names, gender, etc. This allows you ample time
to focus on the topic. The topic by itself is set in an everyday social context. So you are unlikely
to witness many technical jargons or difficult words to comprehend answers.

I believe hearing the above may already soothe your nerves as you get to understand and
dissimilate the section for an effective score. Read on to understand how you can crack Section 2
by implementing some smart tried and tested tips and tricks.

Underline the question keywords

Section 2 can have various question types including note completion, flow chart, labeling, and
even multiple choice questions. Before the audio starts, take a look at the questions to understand
the question type. Make note of some important keywords by underlining/noting them. This will
give you an idea on the likely content and what to concentrate on once the audio plays out.

Answer as you listen

The audio in Section 2 plays out just once so there is a good chance that you may miss the answer
or forget it once the audio is over. Glancing at the questions beforehand also allows you to answer
as you listen. You can write the answers as and when you hear to avoid this common mistake.

Skip if you miss an answer

The key is to not get too engrossed in your quest for answers while listening to the audio. The
objective should always be to listen to the audio in totality. If you think you may have missed an
answer, do not worry. Complete the remaining questions and move on. Focusing on one answer
can very well be a starting point of unforced errors for the remaining questions as well.

Be vigilant, answer smartly and take the clues from the AUDIO

Listening to the audio vigilantly is elementary but this is where many students make the most
obvious mistake. Just by listening attentively you can increase your chances of getting all the
questions correctly. Focus attentive listening with your mock tests and develop a practice to listen
well and answer smartly. If you heard a word being spelled or a number being dictated, it is obvious
that the emphasis is on that word or number. Make a mental note as that can give you a massive
clue on some of the answers. Also, keep an eye out (an ear actually) as you listen to the audio as
the likely answers are more likely to be pronounced more clearly or with a pause.

By practicing the Section 2 mock tests will allow you ample opportunity to work out ways to
implement the above-mentioned tips. Happy Practicing!

• IELTS Listening TIPS and PRACTICES: Section 3

Ask any student preparing for IELTS about the one section that is most likely to offer a challenge
and the answer is more likely to be Listening Section 3. After all, by the time the section appears,
you are already stressed by listening, absorbing, answering the details of previous sections.
Not many experts will tell you that a good way to ensure you crack Section 3 effectively starts by
focusing on Section 1 and 2. Once you are confident of cracking Listening Sections 1 and 2, not
only will you be confident but have that extra time to focus on even the most difficult of the
question in the section.

Here is what more you can do to ensure you are able to crack listening Section 3 successfully.

Underline question keywords before the audio plays

Before you start listening to the audio, take some moments to go through the questions. Underline
the important keywords to understand the areas you may need to listen more attentively.

For example, if you see a multiple choice question:

For how many years has Kara been working in the hotel?

You can start by underlining Kara, working, and hotel. This gives you areas on which you can
focus on the audio. Likewise, a quick scan for all questions can make your progression easy.

Don’t just hear, LISTEN

By the time the Section 3 audio plays out you may well be feeling lethargy or jittery. Make sure
to listen to the audio with apt attention. A good way is to undertake extensive practice tests to
ensure you are prepared in listening to the audio attentively. As you listen with attention, another
common area which makes students commit mistakes is eliminated. That is jumping to
conclusions. Don’t assume any information and rely on what is being shared or spoken.

Understand the context in the audio

Once you listen to the audio attentively you will find understanding the context of the audio far
more easily. The section offers a conversation between up to four people set in an educational
context. Knowing this background and apt attention spam can give you the context of the
conversation helpful in answering the obvious questions.

Budget more time for Section 3

Section 3 may require a little more time than Section 1 and 2. This is because this section usually
contains multiple choice questions. Sometimes the choices are not only confusing but may take a
little extra time to cut out the wrong choices. With apt practice, you can speed up your time for
Sections 1 and 2 thereby helping your cause in Section 3 indirectly. Using practice tests for entire
IELTS listening section can give you a great insight on how to save time for Section 3.

Don’t worry about missing an answer

Like the previous Sections, do not worry about missing one answer. You can still get a very good
score without getting all the 40 questions correct. For missing out on 1 answer, do not waste time
as that may easily lead to more wrong answers for the questions ahead.

• IELTS Listening Section 4 Tips

IELTS listening section 4 is often considered one of the toughest by students simply because it
offers a monologue on an academic subject. This may mean a lot of technical terms or important
jargons used in the lecture etc. These could very well be from a subject that you as a student may
not have much idea about.

A student with a literature background may get a monologue on biology or chemistry. This can
easily lead to panic situation where you may feel hard done by. Well, not anymore as by
implementing the following tips and suggestions you can make Section 4 as easy as the earlier
sections of Listening.

First things first- allocate ample time to the section

Section 4 may take a little more time than the previous sections. Allocating and budgeting time is
a skill you must master before attempting your final IELTS exam. Opting for sample tests like the
ones here offers this benefit where you can work out your time-saving techniques ensuring you
have that extra 30 seconds to 1 minute for understanding the questions or tracing keywords in the
audio when it comes to Section 4.

Don’t try to understand everything

The one big mistake many students commit is to try and understand the content. It may not be easy
or even possible to understand the content or the terms in one audio lesson of 20 minutes. So how
to go about it then you may ask? Understand the flow of the conversation and mark important
keywords. This will give you a far more essential detailing than trying to understand everything
technically.

Being an academic lecture, the conversation is likely to be smooth in transition from one subject
to the other. This means if you are attentive from the first word, you can witness the flow of the
conversation as the talk goes on. Practicing on sample tests listed here is a great way to build this
skill of tracing the flow of the audio without getting caught up in the words and terminology.

Remember, after all, your motive is to score well in the listening section of the exam and not master
the context of the subject.

Cut out the stress

Staying calm may not sound like much of a trick but can work wonders in Section 4. Remember
if you have done the 3 previous sections well, even if you miss out on a few answers in the section,
your score would still end up quite high. Always attempt Section 4 without the extra dose of mental
pressure and you will cut out any unforced errors or silly mistakes immensely.

And finally- practice, practice, and practice

Just like good cricketers spend hours in the nets knocking balls day in and day out or a boxer
spends hours in the ring blocking punches of his coaches, practice delivers its importance on the
big day. I would suggest to check out the wide range of listening tests listed here. These can help
you slowly build confidence and develop a final strategy to crack the listening sections with ease.

• IELTS Listening Strategies- Label a Map

Figuring out the questions based on Map labeling has always been a tough nut to crack for most
of the aspirants, especially the self-learners. This type of question usually appears in Section 2 of
IELTS listening test and is always a monologue, where the speaker is either describing or giving
directions about a floor plan, a university/college campus, a blue print of a city/town or floor
plan of a complex. The aspirant has to match the places to their names enlisted in a box written
opposite to specific letters. The aspirant has not to write the name but the letter as the answer to
that question.

Test sample: The new Prepare for IELTS by Penny Cameron and Vanessa Todd

Here are a few tips to crack such questions:

1. Utilize the time given to read the questions: Don’t miss out the importance of reading
questions in the time given prior to the audio to be played. Read the names of the list to
and keep them in mind as it will later help you during the listening and will avoid looking
at the list again and again to look for the names.
2. Don’t look at the list while listening, as it is the map which needs the attention while the
recording is being played. You may rather keep scribbling the name (answer)on your
sheet.
3. Be an active listener and notice the shift in the clues done by the speaker. For example,
sometimes the speaker would say to look at her/his left or right and sometimes to the
listener’s. Hence, whenever, such shifts occur, be attentive as the left of speaker means to
your right side.
4. Focus on the cue words/phrases. Make yourself familiar with the clues which are either
prepositions or prepositional phrases. Below is the list of some such words:
• Next to/ beside
• Opposite to/ in opposite
• To your left /right
• To my left /right
• turn right /left
• half way down
• half way up
• in between
• at the right /left corner
• across the street/road
• near /nearby
• just opposite
• from the left/ right of something
5. Jot down the names while listening: Note down the names of the places on the map
while listening to the recording. Short hand is the perfect technique to do this as little
clues like first three letters of the names heard would be enough.
6. Write the letter and not the name itself on the answer sheet: Read the directions
carefully before transferring the answers on the answer sheet, as most of them say to
write the letter written opposite to the name of the place. And if attempting CD-IELTS,
keep a paper ready to note down the letter.
 7. Be fast: Since the audio type of this section is always a monologue which is usually
faster than the dialogue, so keep pace with the track. If you miss out any information or
name, don’t think about it much and move to the next question.
The final words of wisdom - practice many tests with the tips until you be the prolific.

• IELTS Listening Table Completion Tips:

A common question type that is part of most IELTS Listening tests is the table completion
question. Handling such question types requires a dedicated approach which can be practiced and
then perfected using adequate sample tests. Here are some tips that can help you handle table
completion question types with ease.

Underline Keywords to know exactly what to hear

Underling keywords are a great tool that can help you crack the table completion question types
by breaking it down into smaller steps. With underlining of keywords, you can listen to the audio
more attentively for whenever such keywords appear. This would more or less shortlist and will
pinpoint you to the exact answer for table completion.

Listen Attentively

The key in ensuring you crack the table completion question type is in listening to the audio with
apt attention. Knowing what information to look for gives you a massive head start once the audio
starts playing out. Keep a note of voice undertones and emphasis on words and names which are
often part of the table completion sequence.

Write the word as you hear it

Once the audio starts playing out, keep writing the words that you believe are the right answers as
you hear them. Table completion would require you to list the exact word as you hear in the audio.
This is all the more reason to listen to the audio with apt attention.

Don’t ignore measurement word or abbreviation

Table completion comes with its unique set of challenges and one such challenge is to focus on
short forms or abbreviations. Sometimes in a table completion sequence you may have to write a
numbered followed by a measurement word or abbreviation like m, cm, hours, etc. Unless you are
attentive to the details, it is very likely that the abbreviation can be overlooked or missed entirely.
Reading the question attentively and listening to the audio aptly will make sure you do not skip
out on such essentials. If you are still feeling under-prepared for writing abbreviations, opt for
some of the practice tests listed here. These tests come with table completion question types
including ones with measurement words and abbreviations that can help you feel confident to
tackle such questions.

Keep an eye out on the word limit

A table completion like other questions requires apt attention on the maximum word limit. As
elementary as it may sound writing one word for a 2-word question or vice versa is a common
mistake in table completion. The key is to read the question carefully before the audio starts
playing to ensure you know exactly the number of words you may be looking for to fit in the table
completion sequence.

Keep Practicing

Practicing makes a man perfect and tackling IELTS listening table completion question types is
no different. Opt for sample tests listed here to practice the above mentioned tips thoroughly before
to attempt the question on the final exam day.

• IELTS Listening Sentence Completion Tips and Tricks

Sentence completion question type requires to fill in the gaps. From one word to multiple words
or numbers, the options can be confusing at times. It is no surprise that many students find sentence
completion as one of the most time consuming question types in IELTS Listening. What if I tell
you that you can completely master sentence completion questions just by making use of some
tips and practicing them extensively?

Tips to make you a pro at IELTS Listening Sentence Completion

So without further ado, here are 5 tips and tricks that you can make use of and make yourself a pro
at sentence completion question types.
1: Look through the sentence

First things first, before listening to the audio look at the questions listed under the question type.
If you have practiced underlining of keywords, underline the same but try and look at the questions
subjectively. Get an idea from the question about the likely conversation you are going to hear.
Make some predictions using the questions. This can give you an extra edge once the conversation
starts playing out in the audio.

2: Pay attention to before and after the gap

The sentence completion question will have a gap which you need to fill. Always take a pause and
look at the content before and after the gap. This will give you insights on expected answers. By
focusing on the words before and after the gap, you can listen to the audio with greater clarity.
Your answer would be very close to when the before-after gap words play out in the audio.

3: Shortlist options as number or text

The gap or answer can be a number or a word. Once you go through the question make sure you
shortlist what your answer will be. Whether the answer is a word or a number is a decision you
can easily shortlist. This breaks down your options extensively and you are now focused more on
your answer possibilities in the audio.

4: Keep an eye on the word limit

Keep an eye on the world limit of the answer. If the sentence completion is seeking two words,
don’t limit your answer to just one word. If your answer and the word limit is a mismatch, it is a
clear indication that the answer is possibly a wrong one.

5: Practice sentence completion using the above tips

If you have been already practicing sentence completion question types and feel confident or still
have some weak links, test out the above mentioned tips. Know that these tips are to make you
decode the sentence completion question type but it requires practice. Handling sentence
completion using the above mentioned tips right on the final test day may actually be detrimental
as you can easily waste time without having practiced the strategy. A good source of practice tests
is listed here. Make use of these resources to help you devise a final strategy and practice our
sentence completion question tips.

• Tackle Flow-chart Completion in IELTS Listening without

breaking a sweat.

So you think you are prepared for IELTS listening with adequate skills in English and grammar.
Truth be told, a lot of students commit mistakes in IELTS Listening not because of their weak
grammar or communication skills. The culprit is often half knowledge on what to expect.
Expecting the unexpected adds pressure leading to unforced errors.

If you are also one of those walking blind and just hoping that your IELTS Listening test may go
down well, it is time to raise a red flag. Knowing the question ‘types’ that you may encounter is
common advice which I am sure you may have heard already from various sources. Of course,
knowing the question types you are likely to encounter is absolute gold dust but so is practicing
each of such question types.

Don’t just KNOW the question types, EXPERIENCE them.

What many so-called advisors and IELTS experts don’t tell you is that knowing the question types
is simply not enough. Experience each such question type when training is the only way to handle
the tough and the tricky ones. Flow-chart completion is one such question type that often makes
students feel jittery. Don’t let the multiple square boxes and the directional flow arrows make you
lose track. Here are some tips to ensure Flow-chart completion questions would not hold a
challenge in your quest to score high in IELTS Listening.

Effective tips to encounter the dreaded flow chart completion

A Flow chart does not always mean a technical analysis.

Many students often equate a flow chart question type with technical analysis. While flow charts
have been used extensively in computer science and technical subjects, a flow chart question does
not always mean technical analysis. At the core of it, a flow chart represents information flow. Just
like a story in the movies or chapters in books, the flowchart represents an information flow.
Think in terms of hierarchy when listening to the conversation or monologue.

Apt handling of flow chart question type starts as you listen to the conversation. Break down the
conversation into a hierarchy system. A conversation always has a connection or flow of
information. Connect the dots mentally as you listen to the conversation. For example, the two
people conversing are unlikely to converse of a different subject all together suddenly. Whenever
there is a new topic introduced in the conversation, make a mental note. This may mean the
information is flowing from the previous block to the new one in some way.

Practice Flowcharts questions.

Do not worry if making a mental note, connecting the dots or following the hierarchy sound
difficult for now. Practice some flowchart questions and you will know how to make the note of
the conversational flow. Majority of IELTS Listening sample tests offer flow chart questions to
ensure you are confident of approaching it on test day. Check out our wide range of Listening
sample tests here to ensure you are getting apt practice to understand how flow chart questions
operate. Once you understand the information flow, flow chart questions will not have any power
to break you into a sweat.