StudyIELTSListening
Paper 1 · Same for Academic and General Training

Once only.Forty questions.

About thirty minutes of audio, four parts, ten questions each, answers in the order you hear them. Listening is a trap for readers: the marks are won in the silence before each part, not during it.

Part 1
Two speakers · everyday
a booking, an enquiry
Part 2
One speaker · everyday
a talk, a tour, a map
Part 3
Two to four · study
students and a tutor
Part 4
One speaker · lecture
no break in the middle
Accents
British · Australian · NZ · North American
On computer
No transfer time · 2 min review
paper: 10 min to transfer
The six question types

Know the shape
before the sound.

01Form, note, table, flow-chart completion
The gap tells you the word type before the audio starts: a number, a name, a day, a noun. Read the words either side of the gap. Word limit printed on the page is law: "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER" means three words is wrong even if it is right.
02Multiple choice
All three options are usually in the audio. The speaker mentions two and rejects them, or corrects one. Underline the difference between options before the part begins; listen for the correction, not the first match.
03Matching
A list of people, places or features against a list of statements. Options can repeat or go unused unless the instruction says otherwise. The audio paraphrases the statements; you are matching meaning, not words.
04Plan, map, diagram labelling
Orient yourself first: where is the entrance, which way is north, what is already labelled. The speaker walks you through in order. Direction words carry the answer: opposite, beyond, at the end of, on the left as you enter.
05Sentence completion
The sentence on the page paraphrases the audio. Predict grammar: after "the" comes a noun; after "to" comes a verb. Write exactly the word you hear; do not change its form.
06Short-answer questions
A question, a word limit, an answer straight from the audio. Numbers can be written as digits. Spelling counts: "library" with one r is wrong.
Strategy · in the order it happens

The thirty seconds
before the audio.

01
Predict
In the silent time read all ten questions. Mark each gap: number, name, place, thing. Underline the words that will not be paraphrased: names, numbers, dates.
02
Track
Answers come in order. Keep a finger on the question you are waiting for. If it passes, drop it and move to the next; do not chase.
03
Catch the correction
"It's on the 14th — sorry, the 15th." The test wants 15. Listen for actually, sorry, I mean, no wait, rather than.
04
Write it right
Spelling, plural or singular, the word limit. These are the marks lost for free, and they are the gap between 6.5 and 7.5.
05
Review
On computer you get two minutes at the end. Check every gap has an answer. A guess scores the same as a blank; a blank never scores.
Where the marks go
Writing the first number you hear, before the correction
Three words where the limit was two
Singular where the audio said plural
Spelling a name the speaker spelled out for you
Chasing a missed answer and losing the next two
What Band 7 does
Reads every question before the part; predicts the word type
Treats the word limit as law
Expects a distractor in every multiple-choice item
Drops a missed answer instantly
Practises with one-play audio, never pausing
Practice set · Part 1 style · read it as a transcript, then do it as audio in the mini mock

The booking call.

Transcript

Good morning, Riverside Sports Centre, Dana speaking. — Hi, I'd like to book a court for badminton. — Of course. Is that for this week? — Yes, Thursday evening. — We have seven o'clock or half past eight. — Seven, please. Actually, could we make it half past eight? My class finishes late. — Half past eight on Thursday. And your name? — It's Tomasz Wierzbicki. — Could you spell the surname? — W-I-E-R-Z-B-I-C-K-I. — Thank you. Court hire is twelve pounds an hour, or ten for members. — I'm not a member yet. — Then it's twelve. You can pay at reception, cash or card; we don't take cheques any more. — Card is fine. — One last thing: the car park closes at ten, so please leave by a quarter to.

Question 1 · NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER
Day of booking: ______
Question 2
Time: ______
Question 3
Surname: ______
Question 4
Cost per hour for a non-member: £ ______
Question 5
Payment method NOT accepted: ______
Question 6
Car park closes at: ______
AnswersCheck after you have written all six
  • 1 Thursday
  • 2 8.30 / half past eight (the correction, not the first time offered)
  • 3 Wierzbicki (spelled out for you; spelling counts)
  • 4 12 (the member price is the distractor)
  • 5 cheque / cheques
  • 6 10 / ten o'clock (a quarter to is when to leave, not when it closes)

Six out of six is the target. Five means one trap caught you; find which one and it will not catch you twice.

Do it as audio · mini mock →Listening module · 11 videos
Marks to band · approximate
Next paper
Paper 2ReadingQuestions first. Find the line. Then decide.