Scorify.uzThe four sections of IELTS Listening
| Section | What you hear | Typical tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | A conversation between two people in an everyday situation (booking, enquiry). | Form or note completion, names, numbers, addresses. |
| Section 2 | A monologue in an everyday setting (a tour, a talk about a facility). | Multiple choice, map or plan labelling. |
| Section 3 | A conversation of up to four speakers in an education setting (students and a tutor). | Multiple choice, matching, sentence completion. |
| Section 4 | An academic lecture or talk by one speaker. | Note, summary or table completion. |
IELTS Listening question types and tips
| Question type | What you do | Quick tip |
|---|---|---|
| Form / note / table / flow-chart completion | Fill gaps while you listen. | Read the gaps in advance and predict the type of word (a number, a name, a place). |
| Multiple choice | Choose the right option from A–C. | Speakers often mention all options; the answer is the one that matches the final meaning. |
| Matching | Match speakers or items to a list. | The order of the audio usually follows the order of the list. |
| Plan / map / diagram labelling | Label places on a map or parts of a diagram. | Note direction words (opposite, next to, behind) and follow the speaker from the entrance. |
| Sentence completion | Finish sentences with words you hear. | Check the word limit and write the exact word you hear, spelled correctly. |
| Short-answer questions | Answer with a word, a number or a short phrase. | Listen for the answer right after the question words you have underlined. |
More advice: 12 IELTS Listening tips and common traps.
IELTS Listening band score table (estimate)
Estimate your band from the number of correct answers out of 40. Official tables vary slightly between tests, so use this as a practice guide.
| Correct answers (out of 40) | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8 |
| 32–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–31 | 7 |
| 26–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–25 | 6 |
| 18–22 | 5.5 |
| 16–17 | 5 |
| 13–15 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4 |
See the Reading band table too, and work out your overall score with the band score calculator.
How to improve your IELTS Listening score
- Read the questions before the audio starts. Underline key words and predict the kind of answer you need.
- Practise with exam rules. Listen once, write answers as you hear them and check spelling afterwards.
- Read the transcript after each test. Find every missed answer in the text and note the distractor that fooled you.
- Train numbers and names. Dates, prices, phone numbers and spelled names appear in almost every test.
IELTS Listening FAQ
How long is the IELTS Listening test?
The audio lasts about 30 minutes and has 4 sections with 40 questions in total. On the paper test you get 10 extra minutes to copy your answers; on the computer you get 2 minutes to check them. Confirm the details with your test centre.
Is the audio played more than once?
No. In the real test each recording is played once, so you must answer while you listen. Practice mode in our tests lets you replay, exam mode plays each section once.
Does spelling matter in IELTS Listening?
Yes. A misspelt word is marked wrong. Singular and plural forms and numbers must be exact too, and both British and American spelling are accepted.
How is the IELTS Listening band score calculated?
Each correct answer is one mark out of 40, converted to a band from 1 to 9. The table on this page is an estimate; real conversion tables can differ by a mark.
Are the Scorify Listening tests free?
Tests 1 to 3 are free with a free account. The IELTS plan unlocks all tests with unlimited practice. Each test has 4 sections, 40 questions, audio, a transcript and an estimated band.