IELTS Listening Test Background

Sections and Task Types

Background/Purpose

 A variety of voices is used like Australian, British, New Zealand or North American
accents

 A pre-recorded CD-ROM

 The passages will increase in difficulty as you go through the test

Purpose of the test

The IELTS Listening test is designed to assess a wide range of listening skills,
including how well you

 understand main ideas and specific factual information

 recognise the opinions, attitudes and purpose of a speaker
 follow the development of an argument

LISTENING
Timing

The IELTS Listening test takes approximately;

 30 minutes – listening activity

 10 minutes – transfer answers

LISTENING
Questions

There are 40 questions.

A variety of question types is used, and you may be asked

to:
 answer multiple choice questions
 label a plan, map or diagram
 fill in a form
 complete a table
 complete a flow-chart
 give short answers

LISTENING
Sections

Section Context Number of Speakers

1 Social Needs Conversation between two

speakers
2 Social Needs Speech by one speaker

3 Educational or Conversation between up to

Training four speakers

4 Academic Speech by one speaker

Subject
LISTENING
Sections

Section Description

1 In the first section there is a conversation between two speakers. For

example - a conversation about travel arrangements, booking
accommodation, or decisions on a night out.
2 The second section is a monologue (a speech by one person). It will
be set in an everyday social context. For example - a speech about
student services on a University campus or arrangements for meals
during a conference.
3 Section three is a conversation between up to four people. For
example - a conversation between a tutor and a student about an
assignment or between three students planning a research project.

4 The final part is another monologue. It is a lecture or talk of general

academic interest such as a university lecture.

LISTENING
Task Types

Task Types Description

Matching • Match a numbered list of items from the listening text to a set of
Type options on the question paper. The set of options may be criteria
of some kind.

Multiple • There is a question followed by three possible answers, or the

Choice beginning of a sentence followed by three possible sentence
endings.
• Choose the one correct answer A, B or C.

Sentence • Read a set of sentences summarising key information from all the
completion listening text or from one part of it.
• Complete 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’
LISTENING
Task Types

Task Types Description

Plan, map, • Complete labels on a visual. The answers are usually selected
diagram from a list on the question paper.
labelling
• Read a question to which they have to write a short answer
Short-answer using information from the listening text. A word limit is given,
questions for example, ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A
NUMBER’.
Form, note, • Fill in gaps in an outline of part or of all of the listening text.
table, flow- • Read the instructions very carefully as the number of words or
chart, numbers they should use to fill the gaps will vary. A word limit is
summary given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A
completion NUMBER’.

LISTENING