The IELTS Listening is the first test that you will face on your examination day.
Listening module is the same for both Academic and General Training.
Total time for the Listening recording is approximately 30 minutes and you will get an
additional 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Hence the total time
taken for the Listening test is about 40 minutes.
There are total of four sections in the Listening test.
• The first section is a conversation between two people concerning a social need.
• The second section is a monologue in a similar context to section one.
• The third section is a conversation with up to four people. This section is
concerned with educational and training scenario.
• The fourth section is a monologue in form of a lecture or a speech. This also
related to educational or training content.
All the recording topics will be of general interest and not biased towards students of
particular disciplines.
For the paper based Listening test, you will be given extra 10 minutes to transfer your
answers from question paper (initially you will write the answers on the question paper)
to the answer sheet.
If you are facing the computer based IELTS, you will be directly typing the answers on
the computer and you will get extra two (2) minutes to review your answers and do any
corrections if needed..
Basically there are about six types of questions that you will be facing in your Listening
test and it is important for you to know the tips and strategies that you must use for each
type of question.
It is important for you to listen to different radio broadcasting to be familiar with how
natives speak. Once you are familiarize with the accents of natives, you will be able to
understand the recordings clearly.
Visit the below links and listen to the respective radio channels. Listen at least 10
minutes per day. This is a proven effective way of improving your listening skills.
General Tips for the Listening Test
Before the test
Make sure you are familiar with the instructions for the different question types so
you can quickly glance at the questions and know what to do.
Think about the type of situations you might come across living or studying in an
English speaking country, such as someone asking for directions or talks on
topics of general interest.
Listen to as wide a range of material as possible – English language television
and radio, listening sites on the Internet and films and music are all great
sources.
Do as many practice tests as you can to get used to the speed of delivery and
the task types.
Focus on the strategies and skills you need for listening.
During the Exam – Before Listening
Make sure you use the 30 seconds given at the beginning of each section to
read the questions before listening.
Make sure you look at all the questions in each section.
Make sure you read the instructions carefully.
Make sure you know what form your answer should take e.g. a word, a letter, a
tick, a phrase, a circle around the correct letter etc.
Make sure you use the time given to analyse the questions.
Decide what you are listening for. Are you listening for specific information, for
the main idea or for the speaker’s attitude?
Use the outline given of the topic, who is talking and the situation to predict
possible answers ?
When you look at the questions, think about synonyms. You may not hear the
exact words that are in the answer choices.
While Listening
Listen carefully to the instructions.
Listen out for key words and common signpost words like – ‘on the other
hand’, ‘in contrast’ etc.
Remember the questions usually follow the same sequence as the
conversation or talk but the information may be expressed differently from the
questions.
Write down something even if you haven’t got the answer before moving on to
the next question.
After Listening
Make sure you transfer your answers correctly.
Make sure you use the time given to check your answers.
for the information you need.
