Austere Institutes

IELTS Listening Test

The IELTS Listening Test is the first part of the exam. It lasts for approximately 30 minutes and the test format consists of 4 sections and a total of 40 questions.

Section And Types Of Listening Texts.

Section	Types of listening texts
1	A conversation in an everyday social situation.
2	A monologue set in an everyday social context.
3	A conversation between up to 4 speakers set in an educational or training context.
4	A monologue on an academic subject (eg, a university lecture).

A variety of tasks are used, chosen from the following types:

Multiple-Choice.

Short-answer Questions.

Sentence Completion.

Form/Note/Summary/Diagram/Flow-chart/Table Completion.

Diagram/Plan/Map Labeling.

Matching.

During your training with Austere, you will be provided multiple listening tests and the evaluation will be done by trained faculty along with feedback as to how can you improve your score.

FAQs

What kinds of accents can be heard in the Listening test?

As IELTS is an international test, a range of native-speaker English accents is used.

Is there any difference between the Academic IELTS Listening test and the General Training Listening test?

No. Both tests are the same.

How many marks are awarded for each question?

Each correct answer receives 1 mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Score out of 40	16-17	18-22	23-25	26-29	30-31	32-34	35-36
IELTS band score	5	5.5	6	6.5	7	7.5	8

Do the Listening test recordings provide instructions and pauses?

Yes. At the beginning, you hear instructions and a sample question. Then there is a pause to give you time to read the questions in Section 1. Then you listen to Section 1 and answer the questions. The same procedure follows for Sections 2, 3 and 4.

Do I get extra time to transfer my answers at the end of the recording?

Yes. You get an additional 10 minutes to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet.

How many times will I hear each recording?

You only hear each recording once.

Can I make notes while I'm listening?

Yes, you can make notes on the question paper.

Can I use a pen for the Listening test?

No. You must do it in pencil. The answer sheet is scanned by a computer which cannot read pen.

Do I need to pay attention to spelling and grammar?

Yes. You will lose marks for spelling and grammar mistakes.

Can I write my answers in capital letters?

Yes. You can write your answers in lower or upper case.