IELTS Listening Overview: Key Insights and Tips

• A variety of question types is used, including: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, summary completion, sentence completion and short-answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

• While listening to the audio recording, there will be a part for listening multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice questions are of two types:

• Multiple choice questions with one answer.
• Multiple choice question with two or more answers.

• [There are questions that have one or more answers, for those type of questions, you would have to listen keenly to identify all the answers from the options given.]

• You will hear all the options that are given to you in the question. You would have to listen to the audio and interpret the answer from what is asked in the question.
• Sometimes, the answer options might be of the same kind to confuse you. For instance, it might all be in the form of dates (15 November, 17 November or 18 November). You would have to read the question and choose the correct answer.
• The words used in the question might not be the exact words that you hear in the audio recording. So, you’d have to pay attention to synonyms and how the words are paraphrased.
• The information provided in the audio recording might not be in the same order as the questions asked, so in order to answer the questions correctly, you should have read the questions beforehand to be aware of what is being asked.
• There would be a lot of distractors in the audio recording. There would be a lot of similar kind of information. Sometimes, the speaker might give us any information and then change it which might be the correct answer. So, do not rush and write down the answer as soon as you hear it.

Map Labelling Questions

• For these types of questions, you would be provided with a map and you would have to label the places on the map. There are two types of questions:

• A list of words might be given to you and you’d have to listen to the recording and choose the correct word that fits the blank on the map.
• There won’t be a list, you would just listen to the audio and identify the place on the map.

• There are a few things you would have to keep in mind while you’re answering Map Labelling questions:

• There would be directions to a place or some kind of tour.
• Sometimes, the answer options might be of the same kind to confuse you. For instance, it might all be in the form of dates (15 November, 17 November or 18 November). You would have to read the question and choose the correct answer.
• Description of the location – listen to words that best describes the location given. For example, below the park, next to the supermarket, etc.
• Look at the question numbers – Look at the question numbers and identify the flow of the map. That would help you listen to what’s coming next.
• The audio recording would provide you with an understanding of where you are or where you have to begin. Pay attention to it at the beginning of the recording. Also, listen to nearby places and clues to help find the answers.

Match Questions

• These questions are not as common as the other question types but they do occur in the Listening part. These questions have a list of statements that you’d have to match with the options provided. Mostly it would be names, places or dates.

• There are a few things you would have to keep in mind while you’re answering IELTS Listening Matching questions:
• Look at the statements and listen keenly to the kind of information that has been provided as options. (i.e.) if the options are dates, listen keenly to all the dates in the audio.
• By the side, write down all the information linked to that particular option, it would make it easier for you to find the answer.

Completion Questions

• There are a few things you would have to keep in mind while you’re answering IELTS Listening sentence completion questions:

• Read the question before you start in order to understand what you should be listening for.
• Try to guess what would come in the blank. It could be a place, a number, year, name or even a specific range of information (such as seasons, climatic conditions)
• The words in the question need not necessarily be the same words you hear in the audio recordings, learn to tune yourself to synonyms of the words in the question.
• Though the questions might be phrased differently from the recordings, the answers should be the exact words you hear in the audio.
• Remember to check the word count (paper-based test), spelling and grammar.