The four parts of IELTS Listening
The test lasts about 30 minutes, with 40 questions across four recordings, each heard only once.
- Part 1: a conversation between two people in an everyday situation, such as booking a course or reporting a lost item. Usually form or note completion with names, numbers and dates.
- Part 2: one speaker in an everyday context, such as a tour guide or a facility announcement. Often includes a map or plan.
- Part 3: a discussion between two or three speakers in an educational setting, such as students and a tutor talking about a project.
- Part 4: a lecture or talk on an academic topic by one speaker, 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 answers to the answer sheet.
Accents and why British voices matter
IELTS uses a range of English accents, and British voices feature heavily. If most of your English listening comes from American shows and Indian news channels, British vowels and rhythm can feel faster than they are. Our 88 practice sets are recorded with British voices, covering forms, maps and plans, multiple choice, two- and three-speaker discussions and lectures.
Spelling and numbers: the cheapest marks to lose
Many candidates in Thane hear the right answer but write it wrongly. Common slips:
- Spelling: "accommodation", "environment", "necessary", "Wednesday", "February". A misspelt answer is marked wrong.
- Letters spelt aloud: "double S", and confusing A/E/I or G/J when a name is spelt out.
- Numbers: "fifteen" and "fifty", "thirteen" and "thirty". Listen for the stress: fifTEEN versus FIFty.
- Phone numbers and prices: "double five", "oh" for zero, and pounds and pence.
- Word limits: if the instruction says "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS", three words is wrong even if the meaning is right.
- Plurals: "ticket" versus "tickets" often decides the mark.
Map and plan questions
Part 2 maps worry many students. A clear method helps:
- Use the preparation time to find your starting point ("you are here") on the plan.
- Note the compass directions and main landmarks before the audio starts.
- Listen for direction language: "opposite", "next to", "at the far end", "just past", "on your left as you enter".
- Follow the speaker's route with your finger or cursor, labelling as you go.
Practising with our map sets a few times a week usually makes this question type one of your most reliable.
Answers follow the question order
In IELTS Listening, answers come in the same order as the questions. Our practice sets follow this rule too. That means if you miss question 14, do not freeze; move your attention to question 15 immediately. Students who chase a lost answer often miss the next two as well.
Practising with headphones in Thane
The Central line, auto rides and Ghodbunder Road buses give you plenty of listening time, but noise is a real problem. Use it wisely:
- On the train: use good closed or noise-reducing earphones, and treat it as warm-up listening, vocabulary or Part 1 practice. Station announcements and crowds make it hard to judge your real score.
- At home, for scored practice: use proper headphones in a quiet room, play the recording once only and write answers as you go, exactly as in the test.
- At least once a week: do a full four-part Listening test in one sitting, because Part 4 concentration is a skill on its own.
Families in Kalyan and Dombivli who share a single laptop often find late evenings or early mornings the only quiet slot. A 30-minute test fits neatly into either.
Common errors and how to fix them
- Reading ahead too little: use every pause to read the next questions and predict the type of answer (a number, a place, an adjective).
- Distractors: speakers often change their mind ("Thursday... actually, no, let's say Friday"). Wait for the final answer.
- Synonyms: the question rarely uses the same words as the audio. "Inexpensive" may be "doesn't cost much".
- Not reviewing: every mistake is saved to your Mistake Notebook. Replay that section and find the exact moment you lost it.
For band 7, you typically need around 30 out of 40 correct. When you are close, our harder Charged Listening sets add faster speech and trickier distractors.
Start with the free Listening sample set, check your raw score on the Band Score Calculator, and sign up for the full collection.