In the IELTS Listening test, you will listen to 4 different recordings and answer 40 questions based on it. The twist here is you will get to listen to the audio-only once. IELTS Listening test is the same for both the Academic and General Training tests.

Let’s wait no more time and have a quick understanding of the IELTS Listening Section Structure:

IELTS Listening part is divided into 4 sections

• You listen to 1 section at a time
• Time for the test- 40 Minutes (  30 minutes listening, 10 minutes to submit the answers)
• The Theme of 1 and 2 section-  Social needs
• The Theme of 3 and 4 sections-  situations related to education and training contexts
• 1 Mark is awarded for each question (40 questions in total) in the IELTS Listening Test

Overview of the 4 Sections in IELTS Listening

First Section

The first section involves a conversation between two speakers. The conversation can be based on any topic like booking a flight or accommodations.

Second Section

The second section of the listening is a monologue (speech by a single person). The topic of the second section can be based on the social issues from daily life.

• Example: Arrangement for meals during a conference

Third section

Section 3 of the listening is a conversation between 3 or more people.

• Example: Students discussing a science project

Fourth section

The final part of the Listening section is another monologue. It is a lecture or talk of general academic interest like a university lecture.

Types of Questions asked in the Listening Section

In the IELTS Listening section, you will be provided with clear instructions to answer the questions. You are provided 10 minutes to answer the question asked on an answer sheet.

Here are the following types of questions asked in the listening section:

• Short-answer questions
• Multiple-type questions
• Sentence completion
• Notes/ summary / diagram/ table completion
• Labeling a diagram
• Classification
• Matching

# 1 Mark is awarded for each question (40 questions in total) in the IELTS Listening Test. There is no negative marking for any wrong answer.

Roadmap to 8+ Band in your IELTS Listening

Myths about the Listening Section

• There are many myths associated with the listening section.  Here are some of these:
• I don’t understand the accent
• English is not my first language
• My Family/ work environment is not supportive
• It is tedious to listen and mark the answers tediously
• I don’t get time to study with job
• An only native speaker can score 8+ in listening
• It is impossible to score 8+ in the IELTS section

These are some of the most common myths that divert the aspirants from scoring a straight 8 in the IELTS listening section.

 Are you confused about the whole listening structure?

If you will ask me-

Is it possible to score 8 in the listening section?

Then, my answer would be, yes, of course, you can!

This lands up to the next question that is-

How to Achieve 8 plus band score in the IELTS Listening section?

If you want to achieve the desired score, you can adopt the PLBS strategy that is-

P-Pick a topic

L- Listen to the topic

B- Brainstorm the strategy

S- Summarize the Topic

Now, let’s explore each in detail.

Pick a Topic

To begin practicing, you can pick a topic of your interest like art, science, culture, or technology. Listen to the topic with the subtitles and switch it off after 30 minutes.  Invest those 10 minutes in answering the questions.

Listen to the topic

Listen to the topic by turning off the subtitles.  Pay attention to the record being played and make notes of the important phrases, vocabulary, and information.

Brainstorm the strategy

Once you are done with the listening part, cross-check the information or the phrases you noted down. The best strategy is to cross-check the information with the subtitles. It will help you confirm the spellings and the words for answering the question. 

Summarize the topic

Now when you have got a hold of the topic, it is the time to collect all the points, analyze and write a summary.  You can choose the order of your summary following your understanding of the topic.

After practicing one listening session with this PLBS strategy, you can practice listening to the session the next day on a different topic. Practice every day and note down the new words. It will help you in aligning with the speaker's tone and marking down the keywords effortlessly.

For finding new topics every day, you can listen to TED Talks, documentaries, Monologues, and so on.

The IELTS Listening section accounts for one of the most critical sections in the IELTS exam. It requires you to be vigilant towards the record and the promptness in making notes and highlighting the main keywords.  Unleash excellence and have a tab over the listening skills by subscribing to Unlock Ielts with Richa on YouTube.

To excel at listening, just listen!