IELTS Listening map labelling: direction language and a worked example

What map labelling is

Plan, map and diagram labelling is one of the six official IELTS Listening question types. IELTS says you complete labels on a visual, which may be a diagram (such as a piece of equipment), a set of pictures, a plan of a building or a map of part of a town, and that you select your answers from a list. The task tests whether you can understand a description of a place, relate it to the visual, and follow directions such as 'straight on' or 'through the far door'.

In practice, IELTS Listening map labelling questions tend to look like one of two layouts:

• Letters on the map, names below. The map shows lettered locations (A, B, C …) and the numbered questions list places you need to find (café, toilets). You write the letter for each place.
• Numbers on the map, options beside it. The map shows numbered blanks, and a list of lettered place names sits beside it. You choose a name for each number.

Either way, the numbered questions follow the order of the recording, as all IELTS Listening questions do. The letters on the map do not tell you the order you will hear them in. For an overview of the other five types, see IELTS Listening question types.

Before the audio: orient yourself

You have only limited time to look at the questions before a recording starts, so have a routine ready. Spend it on the map, not on reading the place names over and over.

1. Find the starting point. Look for an entrance, a gate, an arrow, or a 'You are here' marker. Most descriptions begin from a place like this.
2. Find the compass. If there is one, the speaker may use north, south, east and west. If there is not, expect left, right, in front and behind, relative to where the speaker is standing.
3. Name the fixed features. Roads, paths, a lake, a reception desk: anything already labelled is a reference point the speaker will use. Put your pen on each one.
4. Check the question order. If the numbered blanks are on the map, see how they run (left to right, round a path, bottom to top). That often shows the route the speaker will take.
5. Note the unusual shapes. A building with a curved wall, an island, a corner plot: speakers often describe locations by shape (the L-shaped building, the semicircle at the end).

Direction and location language

The speaker will guide you with a fairly small set of expressions. Knowing them well means you can follow the route without translating in your head.

Watch prepositions carefully: in the corner (inside a room) is different from on the corner (where two streets meet), and across the road is different from along it. If you want to strengthen this area, our lesson on prepositions for describing data covers many of the same words, and cities and transport vocabulary covers town features.

While you listen

• Move your pen with the speaker. Physically trace the route. If you lose your place, wait for the next landmark the speaker names and restart from there.
• Listen for the place names, then the position. The speaker usually names the place you need (the café), then describes where it is. Be ready for the description that follows.
• Expect corrections. Speakers often mention where something used to be or where people wrongly think it is, then give the real location. Wait for the final version.
• Do not get stuck. If you miss one location, guess later. The next answer is coming, and the questions stay in order.

Worked example

The map, transcript and questions below were written by Stride as a study model. They are not official IELTS material. Read the map description and questions first, then read the transcript as if you were hearing it once.

The map: Ferndale Park

The park is laid out as a three-by-three grid. North is at the top. The main gate is in the middle of the southern edge, and you enter facing north. A main path runs north from the gate to a fountain in the centre, then on to a lake. A second path crosses the park from west to east through the fountain.

Label the plan. Write the correct letter, A–G, next to questions 1–5.

1. Visitor centre
2. Bike hire
3. Café
4. Picnic area
5. Toilets

The transcript

Answers and explanations

Letters B and F are never correct answers, but both are mentioned in the recording. That is typical of how distractors work in map tasks: the speaker refers to a place and then rules it out. Notice too that answer 5 depends on answers 1 and 4. If you had marked those wrongly, you would probably miss 5 as well, which is why accurate reference points matter.

Common mistakes

• Mixing up the speaker's left with the map's left. If the speaker stands at the top of the map facing down, their left is the map's right.
• Choosing the first place mentioned. As with the visitor centre and the picnic area above, the first location you hear may be the one being ruled out.
• Losing the route after one miss. One missed answer should not cost you three. Jump to the next landmark the speaker names.
• Writing a name instead of a letter. When the instructions ask for a letter, give a letter. Read the instructions for every set of questions.
• Leaving a blank. An IELTS article on map and plan questions advises guessing, since you will not lose marks for wrong answers.

How to practise map labelling

• Describe real places. Take a map of a park, campus or museum you know and record yourself giving directions to three places. Then listen back and follow your own route on paper.
• Draw from a description. Ask a friend to describe a simple floor plan while you sketch it, then compare. This trains exactly the skill the task tests.
• Use official practice tests. Our article on the best free IELTS resources lists reliable sources with Listening material.
• Review by mistake type. After each practice set, note whether you lost marks to orientation (left and right), distractors, or losing your place. Fix the biggest category first. Our Listening tips cover general strategy, and spelling and numbers covers the completion tasks that often sit alongside maps.

Do I write a word or a letter in map labelling?

IELTS says that for plan, map and diagram labelling you select your answers from a list, so you normally write or choose a letter. Always follow the instructions for the specific set of questions.

Do map labelling answers come in order?

The numbered questions follow the order of the recording, as all IELTS Listening questions do. The letters on the map are not in any particular order, so do not expect to hear A before B.

What if there is no compass on the map?

The speaker will usually use left and right, in front and behind, relative to a starting point. Find that starting point before the recording begins and decide which way you are facing.

What should I do if I get lost during the recording?

Stop trying to recover the missed answer. Listen for the next named landmark, put your pen on it and continue from there. Guess any missed answers at the end, as wrong answers do not lose marks.

Can I draw on the map?

An IELTS article on map and plan questions notes that you are allowed to draw on the Listening question paper in the paper-based test. Note that IELTS is phasing out the paper-based test: from mid-2026 all IELTS tests are delivered on computer, with timings varying by country (see computer vs paper IELTS). On computer, check what note-taking options your test centre provides.