The four parts of the Listening test
The Listening test has 4 parts and 40 questions and lasts about 30 minutes. You hear each recording once only.
- Part 1: a conversation between two people about an everyday situation, often booking something or giving personal details. Expect form and note completion.
- Part 2: one speaker in an everyday context, such as a tour, a talk about local facilities or a radio announcement. Map and plan labelling often appears here.
- Part 3: a discussion between two or three speakers in an educational setting, such as students and a tutor talking about an assignment.
- Part 4: a short academic lecture by one speaker, usually with no break in the middle.
On the computer-delivered test you get 2 minutes at the end to check your answers. On paper you get 10 minutes to transfer them to the answer sheet.
Accents: what Doha listeners notice
Most people in Doha are used to hearing English spoken with South Asian, Arabic, Filipino and African accents, because that is the English of local offices, hospitals and shops. IELTS recordings use a range of accents, with British voices common alongside Australian, North American and others.
For many Doha candidates, British and Australian accents are the least familiar. Vowels sound different, "r" sounds at the ends of words often disappear, and speakers can be faster than you expect. The answer is not to worry about it but to hear a lot of it. IELTS Learning's Listening sets are recorded with British voices so your ear adjusts before test day.
Spelling and numbers
This is where easy marks disappear.
- Spelling counts. "Accomodation" is wrong. So is "recieve". If you regularly misspell common words, start a list and test yourself.
- British and American spellings are usually both accepted, but be consistent and careful.
- Numbers and dates: "fifteen" and "fifty" sound similar; listen to the stress. Telephone numbers may use "double five" or "oh" for zero.
- Letters: the speaker may spell a name. Practise the alphabet aloud, especially letters that are often confused, such as A, E and I, or G and J.
- Word limits: "ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER" means exactly that.
Map and plan questions
Map questions in Part 2 worry many students, but they follow a pattern.
- Before the audio starts, find the starting point, usually "You are here" or an entrance.
- Notice the compass directions and features such as a car park, reception or a main path.
- Listen for direction language: "opposite", "next to", "at the far end", "just past", "on your left as you enter".
- Follow the speaker with your finger or cursor, step by step.
If you get lost, do not panic. Move to the next labelled place and pick up the thread.
Answers follow the question order
In almost every part, the answers come in the same order as the questions. This is your best friend. If you hear the answer to question 14, you know you have missed question 13; leave it and stay with the speaker. Students who stop to think about a missed answer often lose the next three.
IELTS Learning's 88 Listening practice sets cover Parts 1 to 4, including forms, maps and plans, multiple choice, two- and three-speaker discussions and lectures, and the answers follow question order just as they do in the real test.
Practising with headphones in Doha
Doha flats are rarely silent. Air conditioning runs most of the year, buildings are going up across the city, and family life does not pause for your study plan. For Listening practice, a pair of decent headphones is worth more than any app.
- Practise full sets at home with headphones, without pausing.
- Use short sections on the Metro to build exposure, but not for timed tests.
- Many computer-delivered test venues provide headphones, so get used to wearing them for 30 minutes.
Common errors to avoid
- Writing an answer the speaker mentioned and then corrected ("on Tuesday... actually, no, Thursday").
- Missing plurals: "book" instead of "books".
- Reading ahead too far and losing the current question.
- Leaving gaps. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
You can try a free sample Listening set on the practice tests page. With Full Access, $12 for 2 months, you can work through every set, and each wrong answer is saved automatically to your Mistake Notebook for review.