IELTS Listening: Check Exam Format, Sample Questions, Score, and Preparation Tips

Q: Ques: How can I get 8.5 in IELTS listening?

Ans: IELTS band score of 8.5 means you need to answer 37 to 38 questions correctly. To give correct answers in IELTS listening, you need to identify keywords properly, focus on pronunciation, listen effectively, and maintain the word limit.

Q: Ques: What is the trick for listening in IELTS?

Ans: The best way to improve your IELTS listening score try and identify your weaknesses y taking a mock test and working on improving the areas. Underline keywords while listening, and always focus on finding the main ideas of the recordings.

Q: Ques: How to practice for IELTS listening?

Ans: You can effectively prepare for IELTS listening by joining coaching classes or reading books. Taking regular practice tests helps you to understand different types of questions and improve your time management skills.

Q: Ques: Which listening is best for IELTS exam?

Ans: To improve your IELTS listening score, you need to listen to various types of accents. You can start watching regular news channel programs such as; BBC Earth, Animal Planet, National Geographic, and others to improve your knowledge of common English phrases.

Q: Ques: What is 27 out of 40 in IELTS listening?

Ans: You will get 1 raw score for each correct answer on IELTS listening, and then your raw scores are converted to the band score. Achieving a raw score of 27 is calculated as a 6.5 IELTS listening band score.

Shubhankar Das

Content Writer - Study Abroad | Updated On - Jul 9, 2024

What's New?

Sections: IELTS listening test features four audio recordings with 10 questions each, increasing in difficulty.
Variety of Accents: Expose yourself to various English accents through podcasts, movies, or TV shows to understand the recording properly.
Skimming and Scanning: Develop skills to grasp main ideas and specific details quickly to focus on the main points to answer.
Time Management: Practice answering IELTS listening questions within the allotted time for each section.

Many candidates find IELTS listening difficult as it contains various types of recordings. You will be given only one chance to listen to the recordings. The IELTS listening test includes four recordings, with 10 questions for each recording. To answer 40 listening questions, you will be allocated 30 minutes. Your ability to follow and develop ideas and understanding of speakers' opinions and attitudes will be tested in this section. IELTS listening exam recordings include topics from daily life, social context, and academic subjects. No matter if you are taking general training or an academic test, questions and scoring patterns are the same. IELTS listening scoring ranges from 0 to 9 band. Achieving a 7+ band score is recommended for the top-ranked universities.

Table of Content

Exam Format
Question Types
Scoring Pattern
Preparation Tips
FAQs

IELTS Listening Exam Format

IELTS listening exam format is the same for both academic and general training tests. In listening IELTS syllabus, you need to answer 40 listening questions within 30 minutes. The exam pattern of IELTS listening test includes 4 different recordings. Check the table mentioned below to understand what types of topics are included in IELTS listening:

Recordings	Topics
Recording 1	A conversation between two people set in daily life and context.
Recording 2	A monologue about daily life contexts.
Recording 3	A conversation between two or more people set in a training or educational context.
Recording 4	A monologue on any academic subject.

Type of Questions in IELTS Listening

Having a better idea of different types of questions in IELTS listening will help you to answer properly. You will face 6 different types of questions in IELTS listening exam. Effective IELTS listening preparation tips include reading books, taking practice tests, and listening to English podcasts. Taking IELTS listening practice tests helps you understand the question types and improve your time management skills. You can refer to the table below to check the question types and their requirements:

Types of Questions	Requirements
Multiple choice	You are required to choose one correct answer from the options (A, B, or C), you will be given
Matching	You are required to match a list of items from the audio you have listened
Plan, map, diagram labeling	First, you need to complete the labels, and then select your answers from the list mentioned in the question paper.
Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary completion	You will be asked to fill in the gaps in an outline of part of the recording you have played.
Sentence completion	Fill a gap in each sentence using information from the recording.
Short-answer questions	You are required to write a short answer using information from the recording.

Multiple Choice Questions:

These types of questions assessed a wide range of skills. You must have a detailed understanding of the main and specific points to answer.

Sample:

Matching Questions

How well you can understand the information in a topic is assessed by matching types of questions. Your ability to follow a conversation, and recognize connections between facts also be tested on these types of questions.

Sample:

Plan, Map, Diagram Labelling Types of Questions

These types of questions are designed to test your ability to understand, and how well you can follow language expressing directions.

Sample:

Form, Note, Table, Flow-Chart, Summary Completion Types of Questions

Your ability to focus on the main point is being tested by these types of questions. You need to maintain the word limit properly to answer these types of questions.

Sample:

Sentence Completion Types of Questions

Your ability to identify the key information and understanding of functional relationships is tested by sentence completion types of questions.

Sample:

Short-Answer Questions

These types of questions focus on your ability to listen for facts, places, prices or times.

Sample:

IELTS Listening Scoring Pattern

You will face 40 questions divided into 4 parts in IELTS listening. You will get 1 raw IELTS score for each correct answer. The no of correct answers is directed as your raw score, and then it is calculated as a band for IELTS listening. IELTS score for the listening section ranges from 0 to 9 bands. The general training and IELTS academic listening scoring patterns follow the same process. Check the table mentioned below to understand IELTS listening scoring pattern:

Raw Score	Band Score
39-40	9
37-38	8.5
35-36	8.0
32-34	7.5
30-31	7.0
26-29	6.5
23-25	6.0
18-22	5.5
16-17	5.0
13-15	4.5
11-12	4.0

Tips to Answer IELTS Listening Questions

IELTS exam listening practice requires focused study and building test-taking strategies. IELTS listening mock tests cover the full syllabus and improve your time management skills. IELTS coaching centers conduct regular practice tests, or you can take IELTS listening test online from verified resources. Here are some effective tips and tricks to improve your IELTS listening practice:

Read questions before recording: Understand what you're listening for.
Preview next section questions: Get ready while listening.
Answer order may vary: Don't assume options match the recording order.
Follow word limits: Note down the word limits for each section. You can be penalized for exceeding word limits.
Identify keywords: Match synonyms in recording to answer choices.
Know pronunciations: Spell accurately based on how words sound.
Listen for transitions: Identify words that indicate the stage changes, this helps you to identify which question you have reached.
Cross out bad options: Narrow down your choices while listening.
Skip and come back later: Don't get stuck, move on and revisit if time allows.
Listen Effectively: Wait until all recordings finish, avoiding missing info.

You may find IELTS listening difficult if you are not used to different types of accents. IDP IELTS listening practice tests are designed to improve your knowledge of common English phrases and identify the key information. If you are taking the exam for the first time, you can start your preparation by solving IELTS listening sample papers and reading the most updated books.

FAQs

Ques: How can I get 8.5 in IELTS listening?

Ans: IELTS band score of 8.5 means you need to answer 37 to 38 questions correctly. To give correct answers in IELTS listening, you need to identify keywords properly, focus on pronunciation, listen effectively, and maintain the word limit.

Ques: What is the trick for listening in IELTS?

Ans: The best way to improve your IELTS listening score try and identify your weaknesses y taking a mock test and working on improving the areas. Underline keywords while listening, and always focus on finding the main ideas of the recordings.

Ques: How to practice for IELTS listening?

Ans: You can effectively prepare for IELTS listening by joining coaching classes or reading books. Taking regular practice tests helps you to understand different types of questions and improve your time management skills.

Ques: Which listening is best for IELTS exam?

Ans: To improve your IELTS listening score, you need to listen to various types of accents. You can start watching regular news channel programs such as; BBC Earth, Animal Planet, National Geographic, and others to improve your knowledge of common English phrases.

Ques: What is 27 out of 40 in IELTS listening?

Ans: You will get 1 raw score for each correct answer on IELTS listening, and then your raw scores are converted to the band score. Achieving a raw score of 27 is calculated as a 6.5 IELTS listening band score.