All about the test
- 4 sections
- The first section is an everyday situation - calling an electrician, inquiring about a rental property, booking a concert ticket
- The second section uses everyday language, but is usually a speech on the radio, for example, about local facilities
- The third section is an academic situation, for example a conversation between 2 students, or a tutor and 2 students
- The final section is monologue in an academic situation
- 30 minutes of listening, followed by 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet
- 40 questions, each receives one mark
Helpful Hints
- Practice writing the answer to the previous question while listening to the next section of the text
- Pay attention to 'clue' words like THE MOST, NOT ONLY ... BUT ALSO, EXCEPT, ALSO, OH NO SORRY I MADE A MISTAKE,
- Learn helpful strategies according to the question type. For example,
- completing a flow chart
- use the title and the words around the gaps
- listen carefully to sequence words to help you move down the flow chart and not lose your place e.g. NEXT, BEFORE THAT, IN ORDER TO, EVENUTALLY, etc.
- completing a summary
- remember the grammar and spelling must be perfect
- check what type of word form you need in each gap e.g. VERB (BASE/ING/ED/ PRESENT PERFECT...), ADJECTIVE, NOUN/NOUN PHRASE, ADVERB
- labelling a map
- guess which prepositions and expressions might be used to describe the location of something e.g. IN THE CORNER, DOWN THE STREET, ALONG THE RIVER, TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE LIBRARY, etc.
- completing a flow chart
Helpful Links
http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/test_sample.aspx - the official samples from Cambridge
http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information.aspx - more general information, including how to find a test centre
http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-practice-tests - FREE practice tests from the British Council
http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information.aspx - more general information, including how to find a test centre
http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-practice-tests - FREE practice tests from the British Council