The IELTS Listening test is 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes transfer time on paper IELTS) with 40 questions across 4 sections that get progressively harder. Below are 10 sample-style questions modelled on each section, with answer pointers and the most common traps.
Practice Questions
- Q1. Section 1 typically involves a conversation about: a) academic life b) everyday transactions c) lectures
- Q2. Section 4 typically involves: a) phone enquiry b) academic monologue c) social chat
- Q3. If asked for "no more than two words and/or a number", what's the limit?
- Q4. If the speaker says "twelve fifteen" — what time is it?
- Q5. Tip: should you fill answers as you hear them or wait?
- Q6. What's a common spelling pitfall?
- Q7. If you miss a question, what should you do?
- Q8. How is your final score reported?
- Q9. Can you go back to previous sections?
- Q10. How long do you get for transfer (paper IELTS)?
Answers & Explanations
- A1. b) everyday transactions.
- A2. b) academic monologue.
- A3. Two words and a number maximum.
- A4. 12:15 (quarter past twelve).
- A5. Fill as you hear them — answers don't repeat.
- A6. British vs American spelling — IELTS accepts both, but be consistent.
- A7. Skip and move on; never let one question break your focus.
- A8. On a 0–9 band scale, in 0.5 increments.
- A9. No — once a section ends, it's gone.
- A10. 10 minutes.
Tips to Pass
- Listen to BBC Radio 4 daily for British accents.
- Practice predicting the next word using grammar.
- Always read questions before the audio starts.
- Watch out for distractors ("actually", "in fact", "however").
- Take 5 full mocks before the real exam.
Take the full mock test
Explore more in English Language Tests or browseall IELTS practice tests.
Related reading: IELTS Tips for Beginners.
