Acquire the skills to listen with rapt attention to improve your multitasking, receptive and concentration skills as you listen for main idea and factual information.

The Key Details Of the IELTS Listening Test

IELTS Listening Test Format

The IELTS listening test is designed to test your understanding of spoken English. The listening test is the same, regardless of whether you take the Academic or the General Training module.

The paper includes 40 questions spread over 4 sections in 30 minutes. The sections get more difficult as you progress through the test.

You will only hear each passage once. It's vital, you follow the instructions. For instance, If the question says, to write no more than 3 words. Any answer with 4 words is automatically marked wrong.

You have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet at the end of the listening test. Write your answers carefully, spelling is important. However, capitalization is not.

There are no penalties for wrong answers, so attempt all questions.

The four sections of the IELTS listening test

Top tips to help you prepare for the test

You are given some time to read the question ahead of listening. It is vital, that you use the time well to analyze the question.

Look for keywords in the question, usually, they are nouns or verbs, underline or circle them.

Make sure you know the type of answer needed. For instance, is it a name, telephone number, or an adjective?

Try to predict as much as you can before listening.

More tips...read the instructions

Try to predict answers before you listen
Check the maximum number of words allowed/.
Make sure you know what to do

Synonyms are important

A synony is a word that has the same (or a similar) meaning to another word.

For example:

Smart - Clever

Fast - Quick

Tired - Lethargic

Cash - Funds

Funny - Amusing

Underline keywords in the question.

Predict synonyms before you start listening .

Beware of Distractors

Don't write the first thing that sounds right

Sometimes the correct answers comes later

Write your answers carefully

If in doubt, write down full words not abbreviations
Check spelling and grammar when you transfer your answers
Write the words you hear, don't rephrase
Use symbols such as decimal points and currency signs.

If you get lost, don't panic

Listen for keywords, look at the questions, and find your place again.
Use your ten minutes at the end to transfer your answers to the answer sheet
Check your answers
Attempt any questions you missed (Guess If necessary!)

SouthCity Cycling Club Review

The map labelling question type has a reputation for being the most difficult question type for most test takers, so let's consider 5 sets of IELTS listening map vocabulary with maps, plans, and samples to help learn them.

To do well in the map and plan questions, it is important to understand the language of location, especially, the prepositions of place, and direction.

Here are definitions of these two types of vocabulary to make sure the difference between them is clear, and a few examples of each type.

Location - where something is in relation to another object or place

Direction - the position towards which someone moves or faces

Common vocabulary of location:

near, in front of, next to, beside, across from, between

Common vocabulary of direction:

turn right, turn left, go straight on, travel northwest, go past

You will find a list of vocabulary commonly used in map and plan questions below, along with sample sentences to show the words and phrases used in context. Each set of sentences describes or gives directions on a map or plan to give you some practice at visualizing the information as you will have to do in your test.

We will start with some simple prepositions of place.

IELTS listening map vocabulary - Set 1

facing

in the middle / center of

behind

between

next to / by

in front of

The entrance is in front of the reception desk.

The reception desk is facing the entrance

The pool is in the center of / in the middle of the sports center.

The gym is behind the swimming pool.

The pool is between the reception and the gym.

The sitting area is next to / by the pool.

IELTS listening map vocabulary - Set 2

left-hand side

right-hand side

turn right

to your right

pass through

on the other side

beyond

along

corner

go straight

beside

The sports shop is on the left-hand side as you enter the sportss center.

To the right-hand side of the entrance, there is a cafe.

Pass through the entrance, turn right and the cafe is immediately in front of you.

The leisure pool is on the other side of the sports center to the dance studios.

There is a large changing room just beyond the cafe.

Walk along the side of the sports hall and you'll find the second dance studio in the far corner of the building.

Go straight along the corridor beside the sports hall and to your right , you'll see two dance studios.

IELTS Listening map vocabulary - Set 3

Maps nearly always have compass points shown. You need to know the 8 points of the compass as these are often used in the recording to describe position. The 8 pointsa are:

north

south

east

west

notheast

northwest

southeast

southwest

There are severasl different ways, you mght hear this being used:

to the north / to the south ...

to the northeast / in the southwest

north side / east side / west side / south side

heading east

slightly west of

just southeast of

Other vocabulary:

near first / second turning

on the left

straight ahead

The houses immidiately to the north and south of the post office are very near the river.

The brigde is just beyond the final row of houses heading north.

After crossing the bridge take the second turning on your left and you will see the retirement home staight ahead.

The retirement home is just southeast of the primary school.

The post office is to the northwest of the retirement home.

The village of stockford is slightly east of River Stoke.

There is a housing estate to the west side of the retrirement home.

IELTS listening map vocqabulary - Set 4

opposite

across the road

same side

before you get to

junction

dead end

leads off

The chemist is opposit a supermarket

They are going to build new houses across the road from the school at point G

There is a supermarket on the same side of the road as the library

Walk west along high street and you'll pass the library before you get to the junction with station road.

The bank is on the dead end road that leads off the high street.

IELTS listening map vocqabulary - Set 5

bend

just past

alongside

adjoining

carry straight on

The school is situated on a bend in the dual carriage way.

The bus station is on the right just past the shopping center.

The town center has a pedestian walkway running alongside a row of adjoining shops.

After passing the school on your right, carry straight on and you'll see the park on your left around the next bend.

Practice using these vocabulary to describe places you know and they will soon become familiar.

16 Farm shop ....................

17. Disabled entry ....................

18. Adventure playground ....................

19. Kitchen gardens ....................

20. The Temple Of The Four Winds ....................

Audio Transcript:

Now on Sunday, we’ll be taking our visitors to Farley House. You may not all be familiar with it, so here’s a map to help you. You can see the car park at the bottom of the map. There’s an excellent farm shop in the grounds where our visitors can buy local produce – it’s in the old stables, which is the first building you come to. Q16. They’re built round a courtyard, and the shop’s in the far corner on the left. There’s also a small café on the right as you go in (H).

I know that one or two of our visitors may not be all that mobile. The main entrance to the house has a lot of steps so you might want to use the disabled entry. This is on the far side of the house from the car park. Q17

Children will probably be most interested in the adventure playground. That’s at the northern end of the larger lake, in a bend on the path that leads to the lake. Q18. There’s lots for children to do there.

There are a number of lovely gardens near the house. The kitchen gardens are rectangular and surrounded by a wall. They’re to the north-east of the house, quite near the smaller lake. Q19. They’re still in use and have a great collection of fruit and vegetables.

The Temple of the Four Winds is a bit more of a walk – but it’s worth it. Take the path from the car park and go past the western sides of the stables and the house. Then when the path forks, take the right-hand path. Go up there with the woods on your left and the temple is right at the end. Q20. There are great views over the whole area.

OK, so that’s . . .