Listening

Listening is the same in General and Academic IELTS. The test contains four sections and 40 questions. The duration of the listening test is thirty minutes, plus ten minutes for transferring the answers to the final answer sheet.

Format : You will listen to four recordings of native English speakers and then write your answers to a series of questions.

Recording 1 : A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context. Example: a person calling for information about an upcoming concert, a woman requesting maintenance services from the landlord.

Recording 2 : A monologue (speech including only one speaker) set in an everyday social context, e.g. an introduction to the local facilities by a tour guide, a lecture by a policeman on safety in the neighborhood.

Recording 3 : A conversation between up to 4 people set in an educational or training context, e.g. a tutor and a student discussing an assignment.

Recording 4 : A monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture, research findings by a scientist.

For every correct answer, you'll get 1 mark. The total marks are converted to a band score using the official IELTS 9-band scale. Remember that IELTS academic listening scoring is the same as IELTS General Listening scoring process.

IELTS Listening Band Score

Improving your IELTS Listening score takes practice and strategy. Here are some tips to help you prepare effectively :

Familiarize Yourself with the Test Format : The test has four sections, each becoming progressively harder. Know what to expect in each.

Understand IELTS Listening Question Types for Strategic Preparation : The IELTS Listening test includes various types of questions to check how well you understand what you hear. Knowing these question types can help you listen more effectively during the exam. By learning how to approach each type—like multiple choice, matching, or fill-in-the-blank—you can focus on the important information and answer questions more accurately.

Listen Actively : Engage with different audio sources (podcasts, audiobooks, lectures) to improve your comprehension skills.

Note-Taking : Practice taking notes while listening. Focus on keywords and main ideas rather than trying to write everything down.

Expand Your Vocabulary : Familiarize yourself with a variety of topics (education, health, environment) and their related vocabulary. IELTS often uses synonyms in questions. Knowing these can help you spot the correct answers.

Listen to Varied Accents : The IELTS features speakers from different English-speaking countries. Expose yourself to British, American, Australian, and Canadian accents.

Read Questions First : Before each section starts, quickly read the questions to know what information to listen for.

Stay Focused : Don’t dwell on answers you’ve missed; move on and concentrate on the next part.

Attempt all questions : There are no penalties for incorrect answers and make sure that you write the answers for the listening section on the correct answer sheet labeled for listening.

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