The four parts
The Listening test has 40 questions in four parts and takes about 30 minutes. Each recording plays 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.
- Part 2: one speaker in an everyday context, such as a guide describing a site. Often includes a map or plan.
- Part 3: two or three speakers in an education setting, such as students discussing a project with a tutor. Multiple choice and matching are common.
- Part 4: a single speaker giving a lecture on an academic subject. Usually note or summary completion, with no break in the middle.
On computer, you get 2 minutes at the end to check your answers. On paper, you get 10 minutes to transfer them to the answer sheet. Band 7 typically needs about 30 out of 40.
Accents: what to expect
The recordings use a mix of English accents, most often British, with Australian, New Zealand, North American and others appearing too. Many Navi Mumbai students grow up with Indian English and American English from films and series, so a fast British or Australian speaker can feel harder than it should. Our 88 Listening sets are recorded with British voices, which is where most students need the most exposure. Add variety by listening to podcasts, radio and talks from different English-speaking countries.
Spelling and numbers: free marks you can lose
A correct word spelt wrongly is marked wrong. So is a number in the wrong format.
- Names and places spelt aloud in Part 1: practise letters that sound alike, such as A, E and I, or G and J.
- Double letters: "double S" means SS.
- Numbers: 13 and 30, 15 and 50, 16 and 60 are common traps. Listen for the stress: thirTEEN, THIRty.
- Phone numbers and prices: "oh" means zero; listen for whether a speaker corrects themselves.
- Common words that are often misspelt: accommodation, environment, government, library, Wednesday, February, necessary.
Maps and plans
Map questions in Part 2 worry many candidates, but they follow patterns.
- Use the preparation time to orient yourself: where is the entrance, where is north, what is already labelled?
- Listen for direction language: opposite, next to, at the far end, in the corner, just past, on your left as you enter.
- Follow the speaker's route with your eye as they move. Do not wait to hear a letter.
If you can give someone clear directions from Nerul station to the Wonders Park, or round Seawoods Grand Central, try doing it in English. It is surprisingly good practice.
Answers come in order
In almost every question set, the answers follow the order of the recording. That means if you miss question 14, do not keep waiting for it: move your attention to 15, otherwise you lose both. Our sets keep this real-test order, so you learn to let a missed answer go. Use the time before each section to read ahead and underline keywords, and guess what kind of answer each gap needs: a number, a name, a plural noun.
Listening practice around a Navi Mumbai schedule
Listening is the easiest module to fit into a busy week, but only some of it can be done on the move.
- On the train or bus: podcasts and talks in English for accent exposure. Stations along the Harbour line and Trans-Harbour line are loud, so this is for general listening, not for test practice.
- At home, with headphones: full sections and full tests. Use the same type of headphones each time, in a quiet room, and do not pause. In a computer-delivered test you will usually wear headphones, so get used to them.
- After each set: read the transcript for every wrong answer and find exactly where you lost the thread.
Common errors to watch
- Writing more words than the instruction allows.
- Missing plural -s ("tickets", not "ticket").
- Choosing a multiple-choice option because you heard a word from it; speakers often mention distractors first.
- Losing focus in Part 4, which runs without a pause.
Every wrong answer goes into your Mistake Notebook for later review. When you reach 32 or more consistently, try the harder Charged Listening sets.
Begin your IELTS Listening practice with the free sample set on the practice tests page, then register for the full collection.