IELTS Listening: test format, question types, scoring and tips
Everything you need to know about the IELTS Listening test: the four parts, the six question types, how your score out of 40 becomes a band, and how to prepare. Listening practice tests are not on Stride yet. Until they are, here is the clearest guide we can give you, plus the practice you can do today.
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Practise now while Listening is on its way
Stride doesn't have Listening tests yet, so we won't pretend otherwise. These are the most useful things you can do here today:
- Take a Reading testTimed Academic or General Training Reading, marked instantly with explained answers.
- Practise WritingTask 1 and Task 2 with an AI-estimated band and feedback on all four criteria.
- Practise SpeakingAll three parts, recorded in your browser, with feedback on your answers.
- IELTS Listening tipsHow to prepare for each of the four parts.
- Listening question typesThe six official question types and how to approach each.
- Map and plan labellingDirection language and a worked example.
- Spelling, numbers and datesWhere easy marks are most often lost.
- Listening score calculatorTurn a score out of 40 into a band.
Reading is the closest practice to Listening: both have 40 questions, many of the same question types (multiple choice, matching, sentence and note completion) and the same strict word limits. Building speed and accuracy in Reading carries straight over.
IELTS Listening test format
The Listening test takes approximately 30 minutes and has four parts with 10 questions in each, 40 questions in total. It is the same test for IELTS Academic and General Training. You hear each recording once only, and a range of accents is used, including British, Australian, New Zealand and North American.
| Part | Situation | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Everyday social situation, for example arranging travel or booking a course | A conversation between two people |
| Part 2 | Everyday social situation, for example a talk about local facilities | One main speaker |
| Part 3 | Educational or training context, for example students discussing an assignment | A conversation between two main speakers |
| Part 4 | An academic subject, like a short lecture | One speaker |
The questions follow the order of the information in the recording, so the answer to question 5 comes before the answer to question 6. If you lose your place, move on to the next question rather than waiting. For a full overview of all four papers, see the IELTS exam format.
IELTS Listening question types
The official test uses six types of question. Each is explained with an approach in our guide to Listening question types.
| Question type | What you do |
|---|---|
| Multiple choice | Choose one answer from three options, or choose more than one answer from a longer list. |
| Matching | Match items you hear about to a list of options. |
| Plan, map or diagram labelling | Complete labels on a visual, usually choosing from a list. See map labelling. |
| Form, note, table, flow-chart or summary completion | Fill gaps in an outline of the recording, within the word limit. |
| Sentence completion | Complete sentences that summarise key information. |
| Short-answer questions | Write a short answer, often a fact such as a place, price or time. |
Read the word limit in every instruction. If it says NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER, a three-word answer loses the mark even if it contains the right information. Hyphenated words such as “check-in” count as one word. Spelling counts too, which is why our page on spelling, numbers and dates is worth ten minutes of your time.
How IELTS Listening is scored
Each correct answer earns one mark, and your raw score out of 40 is converted to a band from 1 to 9 in whole or half bands. These are the conversion points published by IELTS:
| Correct answers (out of 40) | Listening band |
|---|---|
| 16 | 5 |
| 23 | 6 |
| 30 | 7 |
| 35 | 8 |
To find the band for any other score, or to work out your overall band from all four sections, use the IELTS band score calculator. The overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band (see IELTS band scores explained).
How to prepare for IELTS Listening
- Use the reading time. Before each part, read the questions and predict the kind of answer needed: a number, a name, a noun, a date.
- Listen for meaning, not matching words. The recording usually paraphrases the question, and speakers often mention a wrong option before correcting themselves.
- Practise numbers and spelling. Phone numbers, prices, dates and names spelled letter by letter are common in Part 1.
- Train with real English audio. Lectures, podcasts and news in different accents prepare you for Parts 3 and 4. Our best free IELTS resources list includes official practice material.
- Check your answers fit the gap. Grammar matters: if the gap needs a plural noun, a singular answer is wrong.
The full set of strategies is in our IELTS Listening tips, and the harder second half of the test has its own guide: IELTS Listening Part 3 and Part 4. If you're planning your study time, the IELTS study plan shows how to fit Listening practice around the other skills.
IELTS Listening questions and answers
- How long is the IELTS Listening test?
- Approximately 30 minutes, with four parts and 40 questions.
- Is Listening the same for Academic and General Training?
- Yes. Listening and Speaking are the same in both versions of IELTS; only Reading and Writing differ.
- Can I hear the recording twice?
- No. Each recording is played once only, which is why reading the questions in advance matters so much.
- How many answers do I need for band 7 in Listening?
- IELTS publishes 30 correct answers out of 40 as band 7. Use the calculator for other scores.
- Can I practise IELTS Listening on Stride?
- Not yet. Stride currently offers Reading, Writing and Speaking practice. Listening practice is being built, and this page will link to it when it is ready.
More IELTS practice
- IELTS practice testsWhat a full test contains and where to start
- IELTS Reading practiceA free passage with marked questions
- IELTS Writing practiceTask 1 and Task 2 questions with a timer
- IELTS Speaking practicePart 1, 2 and 3 questions with a cue-card timer
- Band score calculatorWork out your overall band