The four parts of IELTS Listening
The Listening test lasts about 30 minutes, with 40 questions in four parts. The recording is played once.
- Part 1: A conversation between two people about an everyday situation, such as booking a course or renting a flat. Often a form or notes to complete.
- Part 2: One speaker in a general setting, for example a guide describing a facility. Map and plan questions often appear here.
- Part 3: Two or three speakers in an education or training context, such as students discussing a project with a tutor.
- Part 4: A single speaker giving a lecture on an academic topic. Usually the hardest part, with no break in the middle.
On the computer-delivered test you have 2 minutes at the end to check your answers. On paper, you get 10 minutes to transfer answers to the answer sheet. The test is the same for Academic and General Training.
Accents: what Jeddah students should expect
In Jeddah, much of the English people hear every day is spoken by colleagues and neighbours from South Asia, the Philippines, Egypt and elsewhere, or comes from American films and series. IELTS recordings use a range of accents, with British, Australian and others commonly heard. Students who are used to American English sometimes find British vowels and dropped "r" sounds harder at first.
IELTS Learning has 88 Listening practice sets covering all four parts, recorded with British voices. If British accents are new to you, they are a good place to start. Add variety by listening to podcasts and radio from different English-speaking countries.
Spelling and numbers: the easy marks people lose
A surprising number of Listening marks are lost to spelling and number errors rather than misunderstanding. Watch for:
- Spelt-out names: in Part 1, speakers often spell a surname or street name. Practise the English alphabet aloud: Arabic and Tagalog speakers sometimes confuse "e" and "i", or "g" and "j".
- Doubled letters: "double s", "double t".
- Numbers that sound alike: "fifteen" and "fifty", "thirteen" and "thirty". Listen to the stress: fif-TEEN, FIF-ty.
- Dates and times: know the different ways to say and write them.
- Plurals: "chair" and "chairs" are not the same answer.
- Word limits: "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" means three words is wrong, even if correct in meaning.
Map and plan questions
Map questions, usually in Part 2, make many students panic. A calm method helps:
- Use the preparation time to study the map. Find the starting point and the compass directions.
- Note the features already labelled, such as an entrance or a car park.
- Follow the speaker's route with your finger or cursor as they talk.
- Learn the language of direction: "opposite", "next to", "at the far end", "on your left as you enter", "beyond".
Practise by describing real places you know. Explaining the route from your home to a mall or from a university gate to the library at KAU is good English practice in itself.
Answers come in question order
In IELTS Listening, answers follow the order of the questions. This is useful: if you miss question 14, do not keep searching for it. Move your attention to question 15, or you may miss both. Our practice sets follow the same rule, so you build this habit naturally.
Read ahead in every pause. Underline key words in the questions and predict the type of answer: a number, a name, a place, a noun.
Practising with headphones at home
The real test environment is quiet, and on the computer test you wear headphones. At home in Jeddah there is often air-conditioning noise, family conversation or traffic outside. Use good headphones, choose a quiet time, and do not pause the audio. Treat each Listening set as a mini test.
After each set, check every answer, then listen again with the explanation to find exactly where you went wrong. Your wrong answers go to your Mistake Notebook so you can review them later. When you are scoring well, try the harder Charged Listening sets to push towards 30 or more correct, which typically corresponds to band 7.
Start with the free sets
Create a free account to try the free sample Listening sets and the Listening section of the complete free mock test. Then browse the full practice tests. Consistent IELTS Listening practice in short, focused sessions is the fastest way to raise this score.