Below are examples of the IELTS Listening question types you will see on test day. To get a high IELTS listening score, it is important to know what kind of questions might appear in the IELTS Listening test.
Below each type of IELTS Listening question are tips that will help you to improve your IELTS Listening score!
Fill-in-the-blank Questions
For ‘Fill-in-the-blank’ questions, you need to write 1 or more Words (sometimes a Number) into blanks spaces in sentences or notes. Usually, Fill-in-the-blank questions are used in Sections #1 and #4. In Section #1 of the IELTS Listening test, you are often completing short notes, but in later sections of the IELTS Listening, you may be asked to complete longer sentences. Most IELTS Listening tests have 20 Fill-in-the-blank questions, which is 50% of all the Listening questions.
Fill-in-the-blank Questions (notes)
Questions 1-5
Complete the notes below.
Write TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
‘Local Living’ Tour
Guests stay night at farms or a 1 ……………………... .
Guests make 2 ………………………with family each day.
‘Outdoor Active’ Tour
Guests stay the night at 3 ……………………… .
Tour begins on 4 ……………………… and ends on 5 ……………………… .
Fill-in-the-blank Questions (sentences)
Questions 6-9
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Moontowers in the U.S.
6 If one burned out overnight, the remaining bulbs would continue to give ……………………... illumination.
7 Some people thought that moontowers could take the place of ……………………... .
8 The first moontower was placed on the roof of the ……………………... in Wabash, Indiana.
9 Moontowers were built in Austin, Texas after a number of ……………………... made people afraid.
Tip: For Fill-in-the-blank questions, pay attention to GRAMMAR CLUES in the notes and sentences you need to complete. They will tell you whether an answer needs to a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or number!
EXTRA Tip! Pay attention to verbs and articles near blanks; they might tell you if the correct answer is a singular or plural noun!
Multiple-Choice Questions
For Multiple Choice questions, you need to pick one or more answers for a single question. They are most common in Sections #2 and #3. In earlier parts of the IELTS Listening test, the answer choices are usually short, but if you see Multiple-Choice questions in Sections #3 or #4, the answer choices can be long sentences.
Multiple-Choice Questions with 3 answer choices
Questions 10-12
Choose the correct letter A, B or C for each question below.
10 When did the Seattle Food Reserve change its name?
A 1988
B 2005
C 2007
11 What makes Washington Food Bank different from other charities?
A It has a good relationship with the media
B It is run by local businesses
C It doesn’t accept money from governmental agencies
12 What did the speaker do last week?
A Take a class on nutrition
B Volunteer at a food donation center
C Visit a community garden
Multiple-Choice Questions with 5 answer choices
For Multiple-Choice questions with 5 answer choices, you need to choose 2 out of the 5 answer choices that answer the question. Remember, the IELTS Listening test always gives you clues to answers in the order of questions. Therefore, in the examples below, the IELTS Listening test will give you clues for Questions 13 & 14 before they give you clues to Questions 15 & 16. On your Answer Sheet, it does not matter which order your write your two answers.
Questions 13 and 14
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Which TWO services does the Seattle Rescue Mission still provide to anyone in need?
A mail service
B jobs
C apartments
D food
E religious services
Questions 15 and 16
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Which TWO jobs do participants in the Community Connect Course do?
A volunteer at other non-profits
B provide drug and alcohol counselling
C serve food to needy people
D help maintain the CCC building
E solicit food and furnishing donations
Tip: For Multiple-Choice questions with 1 correct answer, the conversation or lecture you listen to will say something about every answer choice, but only one is actually answering the question. Listen for information that makes an answer incorrect!
EXTRA Tip! Even though the conversation or lecture will mention something from each answer choice, they will not mention them in order! They might say something about an idea in Answer Choice ‘C’ before they say something about Answer Choice ‘A’.
Matching Questions
Matching Questions with MORE questions than answer choices
For Matching questions with fewer answer choices than questions, you need to choose 1 answer choice for each question. Therefore, you will be using the same answer choice more than once! Usually, each answer choice will be used more than one time, but in some recent IELTS Listening tests, one answer choice was never a correct answer. As with all IELTS Listening questions, the answers to questions will be given in order or the questions.
Questions 19-22
The following are essential requirements for which internships at the International Trade Center?
Write the correct letter, A, B, or C, next to questions 17-20.
Essential requirements
A Professional certificate
B Expertise in specialized software
C Foreign Language
17 Front Desk Receptionist _______
18 Building Security Staff _______
19 Fitness Center Staff _______
20 Conference Center Staff _______
Matching Questions with MORE answer choices than questions
For Matching questions with more answer choices than questions, you also need to choose 1 answer choice for each question. Therefore, some of the answer choices will never be used!
Questions 21-24
Choose FOUR answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to questions 21-24.
A secretary
B evaluation
C supervisor
D qualifications
E department
F deadlines
G director
International Trade Center: Change in Position Procedure
Check the website for available positions and 21 _______ for applications.
Meet individually with HR staff person to discuss 22 _______ for the new position.
Make sure applicants are aware of anything that could disqualify them.
Receive an Application for Transfer from HR 23 _______.
Attach a copy of the employee’s latest 24 _______ to the application.
Tip: For Matching questions with MORE answer choices than questions, the conversation or lecture you listen to will say something about every answer choice, but some of the answer choices will never be used to complete any of the question sentences.
EXTRA Tip: For Matching questions with MORE answer choices than questions, before the conversation or presentation begins, analyze the answer choices to see if you can categorize them into different groups. Categorize the answer choices as whether they are actions, people, things, or concepts.
Map or Diagram Locations
For Map or Diagram questions, you need to label different parts of a map or diagram based on the description you are given in an IELTS conversation or lecture. As with all IELTS questions, you are given local clues in the same order as the questions are listed.
Label the map below.
Write the correct letter, A-J, next to questions 25-30.
25 Chief Factor’s House _______
26 Chapel _______
27 Smithy _______
28 Warehouse _______
29 Great Meadow _______
30 Powder Storage Room _______
Tip: A common trick with IELTS Listening maps and diagrams is to have two or more locations share a characteristic. So, to help you answer these questions better, think about what makes each location on a map or diagram different from other locations.
EXTRA Tip: The IELTS conversations and presentations will often not use simple words like ‘left’ and ‘right’ or ‘north’ and ‘south’. They might use more descriptive phrases like ‘right in front of the entrance’ or ‘near the corner tower’.
Summary
It is very important to know about and understand each of these different IELTS Listening question types so that you are prepared for test day. You need to think about how you would prepare Fill-in-the-blank, Multiple-Choice, Matching, and Map/Diagram questions because each of them is testing your listening skills in different ways. Even if you have to prepare at home, the more you practice answering each of these types of Listening questions for the IELTS, the more you can improve your IELTS band score!
More IELTS exam tips!
Want to know how to start IELTS preparation at home? Learn the best way to prepare IELTS Listening questions with the Portland English Language Academy. You can learn many IELTS preparation tips for how to improve your IELTS score with PELA Online’s Academic IELTS Preparation course, with Modules to help you with listening, reading, writing, and speaking test questions.
Learn more IELTS Listening skills by watching Lesson 1, Module 1 for IELTS Listening for FREE!
Want to learn more IELTS Listening tips? Learn what to listen for with IELTS map questions!
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