IELTS Listening - Overview

IELTS Listening OVERVIEW

 IELTS LISTENING is the same for both the general and academic IELTS tests. It requires no specialist knowledge in order to pass, and is a good test of your overall English ability. Sections one and two are in a social context but the third and fourth sections are usually located in an educational facility, and have an academic context.

The purpose of the IELTS listening exam is to test your ability to do the following:

- understand main ideas
- follow logical arguments
- find specific information (ie numbers, addresses)
- recognize opinions or attitudes

Importantly, you will only have one chance to hear the recording and choose a correct answer.

TIMING

 You will listen to approximately thirty minutes of recordings, including time for reading the questions. The instructions are clear, and you will be told “you now have x minutes” to check your answers or read the next set of questions. At the end of this time, you have ten minutes to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer paper, which looks like this:

 You will be given some time to read the questions prior to actually listening to the recording. You should note your answers on the question paper, and then transfer them during the final ten minutes to the answer sheet. Copy the answers carefully, paying attention to spelling. Make sure that you enter the right answer for the right question number.

 Hint: Use your time wisely. When you are given time before a new section starts, don’t check answers from the previous section. Instead, read ahead and predict the sort of material you will hear next. For example, if there is a $ before the blank space, you will be listening for a number. Think about themes and content, as well as the specific answers you should listen to. You can use the time, in the end, to check to spell and review your answers.