The Listening test at a glance
The test has four parts, 40 questions and lasts about 30 minutes. You hear each recording once only. On the computer-delivered test you get two minutes at the end to check your answers; on paper you get ten minutes to transfer them to the answer sheet. Band 7 typically needs about 30 correct answers out of 40.
- Part 1: a conversation between two people in an everyday situation, such as booking a course or reporting a lost item. Often a form to complete.
- Part 2: one speaker on an everyday topic, such as a tour of a facility. Map and plan questions often appear here.
- Part 3: a discussion between two or three speakers in an education or training setting, for example students and a tutor.
- Part 4: a lecture on an academic topic, with no break in the middle.
Accents you will hear
IELTS uses a range of English accents, and our 88 practice sets are recorded with British voices. For many people in Dammam, used to American English from films or to the international English of a multinational workplace, British vowels and fast connected speech take some getting used to.
Things that help:
- Listen to British radio, podcasts or documentaries for 15 minutes a day.
- Notice weak forms: to, for, and and of are often barely pronounced.
- Notice linking: a lot of often sounds like a-lotta.
Spelling, numbers and letters
A correct idea spelt wrongly is a wrong answer. This is the most avoidable way to lose marks.
- Letters: practise the English alphabet aloud, especially the vowels A, E, I, and the pairs G and J, B and P, M and N.
- Numbers: fifteen and fifty, thirteen and thirty. Listen for stress on the last syllable in the -teen numbers.
- Phone numbers and postcodes: double (as in double five) and oh for zero.
- Common words: accommodation, necessary, environment, Wednesday, February, library, government.
- Word limits: if the instruction says NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS, three words is wrong.
Map and plan questions
Map questions can feel hard if you are used to driving by landmarks and navigation apps, as most people in Dammam and Al Khobar are. Before the audio starts:
- Find the starting point, usually marked You are here or an entrance.
- Note which way is north, if shown.
- Read the labels already on the map; the speaker will use them as reference points.
- Learn the language: opposite, adjacent to, at the far end, just past, on your left as you enter, in the corner.
Answers follow the question order
In almost every question set, answers come in the same order as the questions. This helps you keep your place. If you miss one, let it go and move to the next, or you will lose two or three more while you worry. Our practice sets follow this pattern just as the real test does, so you learn to stay calm and keep moving.
Practising with headphones in a busy home
The computer-delivered test is taken with headphones, and many test rooms on paper use speakers. In Dammam, plenty of candidates share an apartment, live with family or study in site accommodation, so quiet is not always easy to find.
- Use proper over-ear headphones for practice, and keep the volume moderate.
- Practise sometimes with background noise, such as the air conditioning or a distant television, so a less-than-perfect test room does not throw you.
- Do a full 30-minute set without pausing at least once a week. Pausing to replay is useful for learning, but it is not the test.
- Keep your phone in another room for full sets.
Common errors and how to fix them
- Writing the first answer you hear. Speakers often correct themselves: on Tuesday... no, actually Thursday is better.
- Not reading ahead. Use the time before each section to underline key words and predict the type of answer: a number, a name, a place.
- Ignoring plurals. Two bedroom or two bedrooms? Listen to the end of the word.
- Losing focus in Part 4. It is long and has no pause. Track your place using the headings in the notes.
How to practise Listening on IELTS Learning
Start with Parts 1 and 2 if you are below band 6, then move to Parts 3 and 4. Your answers are marked instantly, wrong ones go into your Mistake Notebook, and you can read the transcript afterwards to find exactly where you went wrong. Students aiming at 7+ can move on to the harder Charged Listening sets.
Try the free sample Listening set after you register. Steady IELTS Listening practice in Dammam, about 30 minutes most days, is usually enough to see progress within a few weeks.