IELTS Listening tips and tricks
Listening is the skill where good technique raises your score fastest. Most lost marks come from traps, spelling and word limits, not from difficult English.
- Time
- About 30 minutes
- Questions
- 40, one mark each
- Parts
- 4 recordings
- Plays
- Once only
⭐ Top 5 tips if you only read one thing
- 1.Read the questions before each part starts and guess what kind of word is missing.
- 2.Watch for speakers changing their minds. The first answer you hear is often a trap.
- 3.Follow the word limit exactly. Too many words means the answer is wrong.
- 4.Spelling counts. Practise names, numbers and common topic words.
- 5.If you miss an answer, let it go and move on straight away.
Before each part starts
Use the reading time
You get a short pause before each part. Read the questions, underline key words and look at what comes before and after each gap.
Predict the type of answer
Decide if each gap needs a number, a name, a date, a noun or an adjective. Your brain then listens for the right thing.
Price: £____ → a number
Bring a swimming cap and ____ → a noun (a thing)
Notice the word limit
Circle the instruction, such as ONE WORD ONLY or NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER. It changes for every question group.
Answers come in order
In almost every question type the answers follow the order of the recording. If you hear the answer to question 5, question 4 has already passed.
While you listen
Listen for synonyms, not the same words
The recording rarely uses the exact words in the question. Expect paraphrase.
Question: the cheapest option
Recording: it won't cost you as much as the others
Beware of distractors
Speakers often give one answer, then correct it. Wait for the final decision before you write.
"Tuesday would be easiest… oh, sorry, Tuesday is full."
Good: The answer is the other day, not Tuesday
Signpost words warn you
Words like actually, however, in fact, sorry and wait a minute usually come just before the real answer.
Write short notes, then tidy up
Scribble the first letters or numbers fast, and complete the spelling in the pause at the end of each part.
Keep your place
Keep your eyes one question ahead. If two answers come close together, you're ready.
Missed one? Move on
Guess later. Stopping to think about a lost answer makes you miss the next two.
Tricks for each part
Part 1: names and numbers
Everyday conversation with forms to fill. Practise the alphabet, double letters ("double L") and numbers like 13 and 30, 15 and 50.
Part 2: follow the map or plan
Learn direction phrases: opposite, next to, on your left as you enter, at the far end. Find the starting point on the map first.
Part 3: opinions and decisions
Students discuss a project. Listen for who agrees, who disagrees, and what they finally decide.
Part 4: follow the structure
A lecture with no breaks. Use the headings in the notes to follow where the speaker is. Answers are usually one word, often a noun.
Writing your answers
Spelling must be correct
A misspelled word is a wrong answer. British and American spellings are both accepted, such as colour and color.
Check singular and plural
If the speaker says "tickets", write tickets. A missing s can cost the mark.
Numbers are easier as digits
Write 18, not eighteen. Digits are quicker and can't be misspelled. A number counts as a number, not a word.
Never leave a blank
There's no penalty for a wrong answer, so always guess. Use grammar and your prediction to choose a likely word.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing the first answer you hear, before the speaker corrects it
- Going over the word limit, for example "the red bus" when the limit is two words
- Spelling mistakes in easy words such as necessary, accommodation, Wednesday
- Panicking after one missed question and losing the next few
- Leaving blanks instead of guessing
Now put these tips into practice
Tips work best when you use them under real test conditions.
Take a free Listening test