IELTS Listening Test: Practice, Format, Scores

The IELTS Listening test is a crucial part of your IELTS exam, designed to assess how well you understand spoken English across different contexts and accents. This page provides everything you need to ace the Listening test — format, question types, free practice tests, vocabulary, and band scores.  

What is the IELTS Listening test format? 

In the IELTS Listening test, you will listen to four recordings and answer a series of questions. Each recording is played only once, so focused Listening is essential. The test includes a variety of English accents – British, American, Australian, and more. 

• Recording 1 – A conversation set in an everyday social context (e.g., booking a hotel or discussing travel plans). 

• Recording 2 – A monologue in a general context (e.g., a speech on community events). 

• Recording 3 – A conversation between more than two people in an educational or training context (e.g., a tutor discussing an assignment with students). 

• Recording 4 – A lecture or talk on an academic topic. 

You’ll encounter question types such as multiple-choice, matching, map/diagram labelling, form completion, and short-answer questions.