IELTS Listening
Cambridge IELTS Listening Test
Time: approximately 30 minutes (plus an additional 10 minutes to transfer your answers)
Academic and General Training candidates take the same Listening test. This consists of four separate sections and a total of 40 questions. Sections 1 and 2 are set in a social context and Sections 3 and 4 are set in an academic context. In the IELTS Listening, you will hear the text ONCE ONLY. Each section is gradually more difficult and the test is divided up as follows.
| Section | What kind of text will I hear? |
|---|---|
| 1 | A conversation between two people about a general topic with a transactional purpose (e.g. finding out information about travel). |
| 2 | A monologue or prompted monologue on a general topic with a transactional purpose (e.g. giving information about events in the community). |
| 3 | A conversation between two or three people in an academic context (e.g. a student and a tutor discussing an academic problem). |
| 4 | A monologue in an academic context (e.g. a lecture). |
There are ten questions for each section in the listening test. Below are the task types that you may find in any section. You may have between one and three different tasks per section.
| Task Type | What do I have to do? |
|---|---|
| Notes/Summary/Table/Flow-Chart Completion | Complete notes/a summary/table/flow-chart with suitable words within the word limit given. |
| Multiple Choice | Choose one answer from alternatives A-C. |
| Choose two answers from alternatives A-E. | |
| Short-Answer Questions | Answer questions in the word limit given. |
| Sentence Completion | Complete a sentence with a suitable word or words within the word limit given. |
| Labelling a Diagram/Plan/Map | Label a diagram/plan/map with a suitable word or words or choose from a box of possible answers. |
| Classification | Classify the information given in the question according to three different criteria (A, B, or C), These may be dates, names, or types. |
| Matching | Match a list of statements to a list of possible answers in a box (e.g. people, theories, or dates). |
Assessment: each question is worth one mark.
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Take Free IELTS Practice Tests from Cambridge Books 1-18
IELTS ( International English Language Testing System ) is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English. These organizations work together to develop and administer the test worldwide.
Book your IELTS Test on the official website of British Council or IDP or AEO. Once you have booked your IELTS Test with British Council, you will receive free access to last-minute IELTS preparation courses and free access to premium IELTS-ready course. It includes 40 practice tests for IELTS Reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Cambridge IELTS Listening Test