[FAQs] Answering Common Questions about the IELTS Listening Test

1. How many questions are there in the IELTS Listening test?

There are 40 questions, with each section containing 10 questions.

2. How many times will candidates hear the recording?

For the Listening test, candidates are only allowed to listen once. Therefore, it's essential to prepare with necessary skills to perform well, including high concentration and the ability to answer various question types effectively.

3. How many sections does the IELTS Listening test have?

There will be a total of 4 sections in the test. Sections 1 and 2 focus on everyday social communication topics, while sections 3 and 4 are primarily academic in content.

4. How long is the Listening test duration?

The test will last for 40 minutes. The listening and answering time is 30 minutes. The remaining 10 minutes are used to transfer answers to the answer sheet.

5. What is an Answer Sheet?

This is a sheet of paper used to record answers for the IELTS Listening and Reading tests. Examiners will score candidates based on the answers filled in this Answer Sheet. For the Listening test, candidates have 10 minutes after listening to fill in their answers on this sheet. To avoid confusion during the test, candidates should practice by printing the Answer Sheet and practicing filling in answers while studying.

6. How is the IELTS Listening test scored?

Here is a scoring reference table:

7. Are the answers in the IELTS Listening test in order?

This depends on the question type. For some question types, the answers are read in order. However, this varies for other question types. Stay tuned for further articles to understand this better.

8. Which accent is used in the IELTS Listening test?

As this is an international English language test, you will hear various accents in the audio recordings.

9. How can you improve your listening skills in the IELTS test?

You can enhance your skills by practicing numerous listening exercises with different question types, various topics, and diverse accents.

Another effective way is to immerse yourself in English-language news broadcasts, watch movies, or view English-language YouTube channels.

10. Are candidates given enough time to read the questions before answering?

Yes, they are. Therefore, make effective use of this brief period. Some techniques that can be applied during this time include underlining key words, predicting the type of word, meaning of words or phrases you might hear. This way, you will know which question is being answered. Master the questions you need to focus on before starting to listen to the recording.

11. Is correct spelling important?

Certainly. Examiners will not award points for answers with spelling errors.

12. What does 'Two words and/or a number' mean?

This means you can write on the Answer Sheet two words and a number (40 Brooklyn street) or one number (40) or one word and a number (40 Brooklyn). But you cannot write more than two words and one number.

13. How can you score more in Section 4 – the academic content section?

This section is a lecture, so the information will be structured in a certain way. The speaker will present information in a sequential order. Read the questions beforehand and listen for additional examples or new ideas. Additionally, you need to check the order of information in the questions.

A skill that needs a lot of practice to prepare well for this section is reading and processing questions quickly within the allowed time. Candidates need to immediately underline keywords in the question to help follow the flow of information in the passage. Also, always underline or mark words that help you identify where you are listening.

Do not focus too much on one question. Instead, always pay attention to the key words of other questions while listening.