1.1 What is IELTS Listening Test?
The IELTS Listening test is made to assess your listening abilities. This module is the same for Academic and General IELTS. The Listening module takes 40 minutes: 30 min for testing (write the answer according to the audio played) and 10 min for transferring your answers to the answer sheet.
You will be assessed on your ability to understand:
- the main ideas and detailed factual information,
- the opinions and attitudes of speakers,
- the purpose of a spoken text, and
- the sequence and development of ideas.

Example Listening Test: Click the Play Button.
Questions 1-7: Complete the sentences below. Write No More Than Two Words for each answer. The Yavari: The Incredible Ship Today Where you can see the ship now: close to a 1. ………. At Puno Bay in Peru. What visitors can do: • Take a 2. ………. • Sleep on the ship History Year when the ship was built: 3. ………. Main material used in building the ship: 4. ………. How it was transported to Peru by sea in small sections How it was transported across Peru: • By 5. ………. • On horseback |
You should have a solid understanding of the aspects of listening to acquire a good IELTS band score of 8 and 8+.
Let’s first look at some key facts about the Listening test.
- Except in Australia, where listening is the third module, here in Nepal it is always the first module of your test.
- It takes approximately 30 minutes(listening to audio). You are given an extra 10 minutes in the end to transfer your answers from your Question Booklet to your Answer Sheet in the paper-based test.
- There are four parts (previously known as sections). The parts become progressively more difficult, with Section 4 being the most difficult.
- The recording is played only once.
- There are a total of 40 questions, with 10 questions per part. Different types of questions are used in the Listening test (e.g., Multiple Choice, Short Answer, Form Completion, etc.).
- You are given time to read the questions before you listen and time to check your answers after you listen.
- In the paper-based test, you must use a pencil to write your answers on your Answer Sheet because it is scanned by a computer. You cannot use a pen.
In the paper-based test, you will be given a Question Booklet containing the questions. You should write your answers in the Question Booklet as you listen to the test. You will have 10 minutes at the end of the test to transfer your answers to the Answer Sheet.
You will not have 10 extra minutes at the end of the computer-delivered test as you must type your answers at the end of every question.
Note: You will hear a variety of different accents in the Listening test, for example, British, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, American, and Indian.
For computer-delivered IELTS test.https://www.ielts.org/about-the-test/computer-delivered-ielts