IELTS Listening Guide
Train your ears for Band 8
Understand all four parts, learn a step-by-step method for every question type, then train with two interactive tools: a dictation trainer for numbers, names and spelling, and a trap trainer that teaches you to catch corrections and distractors.
4
parts
40
questions
30
minutes of audio
1
time only: no replay
The four parts of the test
Part 1: Everyday conversation
দৈনন্দিন কথোপকথন
Speakers: Two speakers
Typical situations: Booking a hotel, joining a gym, renting a flat, reporting lost property
Common questions: Form and note completion
Expect names, numbers, dates and addresses. This is the easiest part, so aim for 9 or 10 out of 10.
Part 2: Everyday talk
দৈনন্দিন বিষয়ে একক বক্তৃতা
Speakers: One speaker
Typical situations: A tour guide, a radio announcement, information about a local facility or event
Common questions: Multiple choice, map labelling, matching
There is no second speaker to slow things down. Use the signpost words ("Now, moving on to ...") to keep your place.
Part 3: Academic discussion
একাডেমিক আলোচনা
Speakers: Two to four speakers
Typical situations: Students discussing an assignment, or a student talking to a tutor
Common questions: Multiple choice, matching, sentence completion
Speakers agree, disagree and change their minds. Listen for the final decision, not the first idea.
Part 4: Academic lecture
একাডেমিক লেকচার
Speakers: One speaker
Typical situations: A university lecture on science, history, business or the environment
Common questions: Note and summary completion
There is no break in the middle. Read all ten questions beforehand and follow the headings in the notes.
What to do before, during and after each part
You hear the recording once only, so a fixed routine matters more than anything else.
1
Before each part
অডিও শুরুর আগে
- Read the questions in the time you are given and underline the key words.
- Predict the type of answer: a number, a name, a noun, a verb?
- Check the word limit, for example "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER".
2
While you listen
শোনার সময়
- Write answers as you hear them. Do not wait for the end.
- If you miss one, let it go and move to the next question immediately.
- Listen for corrections: "on Tuesday ... no, sorry, Thursday".
3
After each part
অডিও শেষে
- Check spelling and singular or plural endings.
- Make sure each answer fits the grammar of the sentence.
- Never leave a blank. A guess costs nothing.
Eight mistakes that cost marks
Leaving answers blank: there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
Ignoring the word limit printed in the instructions.
Poor spelling of everyday words: accommodation, Wednesday, library.
Forgetting plural endings and capital letters for names.
Stopping to think about a missed answer and losing the next two.
Looking only for the exact words from the question.
Not using the reading time before each part.
Mishearing pairs such as thirteen and thirty, or fifteen and fifty.