The Listening test at a glance
There are four parts and 40 questions, and the recording lasts about 30 minutes. You hear each recording once only.
- Part 1: a conversation between two people in an everyday situation, such as booking a hotel room or registering for a course. Often a form or notes to complete.
- Part 2: one speaker on an everyday topic, such as a tour guide or a talk about local facilities. Often includes a map or plan.
- Part 3: a discussion between two or three speakers in an academic setting, such as students and a tutor talking about an assignment.
- Part 4: a lecture or talk on an academic subject, with no break in the middle.
On the computer-delivered test you get 2 minutes at the end to check your answers. On paper you get 10 minutes to transfer them to the answer sheet. For band 7 you typically need around 30 out of 40 correct.
Accents you will hear
IELTS uses a range of English accents, including British, Australian, North American and others. Many students in Dehradun mainly hear English through Indian teachers, Hindi-English media and American content, so British speech can feel faster at first, especially the way some sounds are dropped or linked together.
IELTS Learning's 88 Listening sets are recorded with British voices, which gives you steady practice with the accent many students find hardest. Supplement this with BBC radio, podcasts or Australian news for variety.
Spelling and numbers: the cheap marks
A correct idea with a wrong spelling is a wrong answer. These errors are common and completely avoidable:
- Spelling of common words: accommodation, necessary, government, environment, Wednesday, February, library.
- British spellings: centre, colour, programme, theatre. American spellings are generally accepted, but be consistent.
- Plurals: if the speaker says "two tickets", "ticket" is wrong.
- Numbers and letters: "fifteen" and "fifty" sound close; listen for stress (fifTEEN vs FIFty). Practise spelled-out names and postcodes, where speakers often say "double s" or "zero" as "oh".
- Word limits: "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS" means two words. Three is marked wrong even if the meaning is right.
Map and plan questions
Map questions in Part 2 trouble many students. They become easier with a routine:
- In the preparation time, find the starting point ("you are here", the entrance).
- Note the compass directions and features already labelled.
- Learn the language: opposite, adjacent to, at the far end, just past, on your left as you enter, in the north-east corner.
- Follow the speaker with your finger or cursor as they move.
Students who have navigated Dehradun's markets around Paltan Bazaar or a large campus like FRI are already good at following directions in Hindi; it is the English phrases that need practice.
Answers follow the question order
In IELTS Listening, answers come in the same order as the questions. Our practice sets follow this too. That gives you a useful safety net: if you hear the answer to question 14, you have missed question 13. Leave it, keep up with the recording and make a sensible guess at the end. Chasing a missed answer usually costs you two or three more.
Practising at home in Dehradun
Good Listening practice needs a quiet room and good audio, which takes a little planning in a busy household or shared hostel.
- Use headphones, preferably over-ear ones, for every practice set, as you will in the computer-delivered test.
- Choose quiet hours. Early mornings are often best, before traffic and household noise pick up.
- Check your connection before a full set if you live in Mussoorie or the hill districts, where signals can be patchy during rain.
- Do not pause or replay during a timed set. Replay only afterwards, when reviewing.
- Practise little and often: one part a day on weekdays, a full 40-question set at the weekend.
Common errors, and how to review them
After each set, check every wrong answer and the explanation. Each mistake is saved in your Mistake Notebook. Typical causes:
- Distractors: the speaker gives one answer, then corrects it ("Tuesday... actually, no, Thursday").
- Paraphrase: the question says "cost", the speaker says "you'll pay".
- Losing concentration in Part 4.
- Spelling and word limits.
When Parts 1 and 2 feel comfortable, move to harder material. Charged Listening sets add faster speech, more distractors and denser lectures for students aiming at band 7 and above.
Start with a free set
Try a free sample Listening set on our practice tests page, then convert your raw score with the free Band Score Calculator. For all 88 sets and Charged practice, register for Full Access: ₹999 for 2 months.