IELTS LISTENING
IELTS Listening Test is conducted to assess the candidate’s listening skills in the English Language.
IELTS Listening test is the same for both Academic and General candidates. The test comprises 40 questions. Candidates have to attempt these questions while listening to an audio of native speakers. This recording is approximately 30-35 minutes long.
The 40 questions are divided into four sections (approximately 10 questions in each section). In the first section, there is a conversation between two people related to everyday situations, such as inquiries over the telephone (inquiry about hobby classes). The second section is a bit more difficult than the first one and mostly based on the speech of a single person giving instructions or information to people (a person giving a speech about the university’s orientation week). The third section increases the complexity of the listening test by playing a conversation among three or more people related to some work (students discussing an assignment or presentation). The last section of the IELTS Listening test is a monologue lecture about a particular subject (a lecture on a certain type of animal).
10 Minutes are given after the recording to transfer answers from the rough answer sheet/question paper to the original answer sheet. For tips, click here.
Marks to Band Conversion
Each question in the IELTS listening test carries one mark for the correct answer. There is no negative marking in IELTS; hence it is advised to attempt all questions even if you are unsure about the answer. The below table shows the conversion of IELTS listening test marks to band scores.
| Correct Answers | Band Scores |
|---|---|
| 39-40 | 9 |
| 37-38 | 8.5 |
| 35-36 | 8 |
| 32-34 | 7.5 |
| 30-31 | 7 |
| 26-29 | 6.5 |
| 23-25 | 6 |
| 18-22 | 5.5 |
| 16-17 | 5 |
| 13-15 | 4.5 |
| 11-12 | 4 |
2020 IELTS Listening Test Changes
Some minor changes were introduced to the layout as well as for instructions for the paper-based IELTS Listening test. Let us understand those changes for better preparation.
- Earlier for each division in listening test, IELTS uses word “sections” (section-1, section-2, section-3 and section-4). However, now the “parts” word is used for this.
- The example that was played for the candidates so that they can understand the accent of the speaker/speakers is no longer played.
- The references based on page numbers are also removed from the test.
Types of Questions in IELTS Listening
It is essential to understand the types of questions in the IELTS Listening test.
To attempt such questions, read the given sentence carefully and try to locate keywords. Focus on the word before and after the blank. It will help you to spot the answer while listening to the audio.
Multiple-choice questions give three or four possible answers. Test-takers have to choose the correct answer from these given options. For some questions, test-takers are asked to choose more than one correct option.
Read the question as well as given options carefully. Side by side, try to find the difference between the options. It will help you to mark the correct answer because, in such questions, confusion is very common among candidates. You have to understand the meaning, and you have to find the answer using the meaning rather than matching the keywords from the listening audio with the options given.
Do not stop listening after you find the answer because of two reasons:
- Sometimes the speaker makes changes to the answer.
- It will help you to remain in link with the listening audio; otherwise, you may not be able to make a connection between the audio and the questions.
In such questions, test-takers need to match the answers to the questions while listening to the options carefully from the audio.
Listen to the audio carefully and try to find out which option matches the question. Similar to the multiple-choice questions, these questions are tricky, and you have to understand the meaning along with the keywords matching. Listen to the whole conversation, and do not stop listening because it is linked with the next question. Always remember that questions come in order in the listening audio.
These questions are similar to blanks test-takers need to complete a diagram or a route by filling missing spaces. Mostly a list of answers is given from which candidates have to choose their answer. Take care of the word limit in these questions as well.
Diagram – While reading and locating keywords, pay attention to the question number given in the diagram. Such questions always follow an order; you just need to move with the flow while listening to the audio. In such questions, you have to locate keywords and find your answer depending upon the visual representation and the keywords. In these types of questions also, questions follow the order in the audio script.
Maps – For maps, mark the directions as well as notice the things that are on the left-hand side and the right-hand side. Focus on the given information and mark the keywords. Listen carefully and move your eyes while listening to the listening audio. Pay attention to the Title of the map. Sometimes you can guess something about the content of the map. Questions always come in order, so you just need to be focused. Do not miss anything.
Such questions are also relatable to blanks; the key difference is the presentation of the questions. Some key information from the listening audio has to be picked for the answers. Sometimes a list of possible answers is given to the candidates. Word limit is also important for such questions. Sometimes you may hear synonyms of the given words; hence, it is required to understand the meaning of the words.
Candidates need to write a short answer (keep in mind the word limit, if given) using information from listening test audio for the given question.