The Listening test at a glance
The test takes about 30 minutes and has 40 questions in four parts. You hear each recording once only.
- Part 1: a conversation between two people in an everyday situation, such as booking a course or reporting a lost item. Often a form or notes to complete.
- Part 2: one speaker in an everyday context, such as a tour guide or an information talk. Map and plan questions often appear here.
- Part 3: a discussion between two or three people in an educational setting, such as students and a tutor talking about a project.
- Part 4: a lecture on an academic subject, usually with note completion.
On the computer-delivered test you have two minutes at the end to check your answers. On paper you have ten minutes to transfer them to the answer sheet. Band 7 needs roughly 30 correct answers out of 40.
Accents you will hear
IELTS recordings use a range of English accents, including British, Australian, North American and others. Many people in Riyadh are used to American English from films and online content, or to the English spoken in multinational workplaces, so the British and Australian voices can feel unfamiliar at first.
Our 88 Listening sets are recorded with British voices, which helps you tune in to vowel sounds and rhythms that are common in the test. Alongside our sets, listening to British podcasts and news on your commute is a good habit.
Spelling and numbers: easy marks to lose
Every year, candidates lose marks on answers they actually understood. Watch for:
- Spelled-out names: in Part 1 a speaker may spell a surname or street name letter by letter. Arabic speakers sometimes write "b" for "p" (or the reverse) when the letters are said quickly, and many listeners mix up "a", "e" and "i".
- Double letters: "double-s" or "double-t" need to be written in full.
- Numbers: "fifteen" and "fifty", "thirteen" and "thirty" sound similar. Listen for the stress: thir-TEEN versus THIR-ty.
- Dates and times: know the different ways to write them, and keep the format consistent.
- Plurals: if the speaker says "tickets", "ticket" is wrong.
- British and American spellings: both are usually accepted, but be consistent.
Map and plan questions
Map questions worry many students, especially those who rarely use paper maps now that navigation apps do the work. A few habits help:
- Use the time before the recording to study the map. Find the starting point and the compass directions.
- Learn the language of location: "opposite", "next to", "at the far end", "to the left of the entrance", "beyond the car park".
- Follow with your finger (or your cursor) as the speaker moves through the plan.
Answers come in question order
In most question types, the answers come in the same order as the questions. This is useful: if you hear the answer to question 14, you know question 13 has already gone. Do not panic and do not go back; move on and guess question 13 at the end.
Common errors and how to fix them
- Reading ahead too little: use every second of preparation time to underline key words in the questions.
- Writing too many words: respect the word limit exactly.
- Getting caught by distractors: speakers often change their minds ("We were going to meet on Tuesday, but actually Wednesday is better"). The final answer is the one that counts.
- Losing focus in Part 4: a ten-minute lecture with no break is tiring. Build stamina with full-length practice.
Practising Listening in Riyadh
Always practise with headphones, ideally the same kind you plan to wear for the computer test. A quiet room matters: an air conditioner on full power in summer can hide a quiet word.
A practical pattern for students and working professionals in Riyadh:
- Three short sessions a week: one full Listening test each, reviewing every wrong answer straight afterwards. Mistakes go into your Mistake Notebook automatically.
- Daily passive listening: British podcasts, radio or lectures on your way to work or university.
- Once your score is steady around 30: move to the Charged sets, which are harder Listening and Reading sets for band 7+ candidates.
You get an instant band score after each Listening test. Try a free sample Listening set now, then check your result with the Band Score Calculator. Full Access is $12 for 2 months: register here.