The four parts of IELTS Listening
The Listening test has 40 questions in four parts and takes about 30 minutes. You hear each recording once.
- Part 1: a conversation between two people in an everyday situation, such as booking a course or reporting a lost item. Usually form or note completion with names, numbers and dates.
- Part 2: one speaker giving information about a place or event, such as a tour of a sports centre. Often includes a map or plan.
- Part 3: a discussion between two or three speakers, usually students and a tutor, about an assignment or project.
- Part 4: a lecture on an academic subject, with no break in the middle. This is often the hardest part.
On the computer-delivered test you have two minutes at the end to check answers. On paper, you get ten minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Band 7 needs roughly 30 out of 40 correct.
Accents: why Dubai life helps, and where it does not
Living in Dubai, you are used to English from South Asia, the Philippines, the Arab world, Africa and Europe. That makes you flexible. However, IELTS recordings mostly use British, Australian, New Zealand, North American and other native-speaker accents, and the speed and connected speech can still catch people out. Word endings get swallowed ("next Tuesday" sounds like "nex Tuesday") and numbers like "thirteen" and "thirty" are easy to confuse.
IELTS Learning Listening is recorded with British voices, so you build familiarity with the accent many candidates find least familiar day to day in the UAE. Add variety by listening to British and Australian podcasts or radio during your commute.
Spelling and numbers
A surprising number of marks in Dubai are lost not by mishearing, but by mis-writing.
- Spelling counts. "Accommodation", "necessary", "environment" and "Wednesday" are often misspelt. Keep a list of the words you get wrong.
- Letters spelt aloud. Speakers spell names letter by letter. Practise telling apart A/E/I, G/J and B/V.
- Numbers. Listen for "double five", "oh" for zero, and prices with pence or cents. Phone numbers and postcodes come up often in Part 1.
- Plurals. Missing an "s" makes an answer wrong.
- Word limits. "ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER" means you cannot write two words.
Map and plan questions
Map questions are where many candidates in Part 2 lose marks. A good technique:
- Use the preparation time to find the starting point and the compass directions.
- Follow the speaker with your finger or cursor, marking each place as it is named.
- Listen for direction language: "opposite", "next to", "at the far end", "on your left as you come in", "beyond", "just past".
If you can follow directions inside a Dubai mall, you already have the right instinct. The challenge is speed.
Answers come in question order
In IELTS Listening, answers follow the order of the questions. If you miss one, do not keep waiting for it; move on and listen for the next. One missed answer is fine. Losing three in a row because you were stuck is the real damage. Our practice sets follow the same order rule as the real test.
Practising with headphones in Dubai
For the computer-delivered test you wear headphones; on paper, the audio may be played through headphones or speakers depending on the venue. Either way, practise with headphones for focus.
- Do full sets at home, not on the Metro. Train announcements and background noise make your score unreliable. Use the Metro for vocabulary instead.
- Choose a time when your flat is quiet, especially if you share.
- Don't pause or replay during a timed set. Replay only afterwards, with the script, to find what you missed.
How to practise on IELTS Learning
There are 88 Listening sets covering Parts 1–4: forms, maps and plans, multiple choice, two- and three-speaker discussions and lectures. You get an instant score and explanations, and every wrong answer goes into your Mistake Notebook. When you regularly reach 30 or more, move on to the harder Charged sets.
Common errors to watch for
- Writing the first number you hear, when the speaker corrects it a moment later.
- Choosing a multiple-choice option because a word in it was mentioned.
- Losing concentration in Part 4 because there is no pause.
Start with a free sample Listening set, check your band with the Band Score Calculator, and register when you are ready for more. Full Access is $12 for 2 months.