IELTS
Listening
English Language Centre
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Test Format and Tasks
Format and Tasks
Strategies and Examples
Further Help
References
Questions
Test Format
Test Format (Recorded tape played
once only)
– 30 minutes
– Four Sections, each with 10 questions
– Time allocated for
Reading questions
Writing and checking answers
Transferring answers to an answer sheet
Test Format and Tasks
Based on Conversation and Monologue
– A variety of question types
Multiple choice
Short-answer questions
Sentence completion
Notes/summary/diagram/flow-chart/table completion
Labeling a diagram which has numbered parts
Classification
Matching
Test Format
Section 1 Questions 1-10
– Complete the table
– Label the rooms on the map
Section 2 Question 11-20
– Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each
answer
– Write NUMBERS OR NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS for each answer
Test Format – Listening
Section 3 Questions 21- 30
– Choose the correct letters A-C
– Write NOT MORE THAN THREE WORDS for
each answer
Section 4 Question 31 -40
– Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each
answer
– Write NUMBERS OR NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS for each answer
Test Format and Tasks:
Assessment Criteria
One mark is awarded for
each correct answer in the
40 item test
– Care should be taken when
writing answers on the
answer sheet as poor
spelling and grammar are
penalised.
Test Format and Tasks – Listening
Activities
Section 1: A conversation between two
speakers in a social and semi-official
context
Section 2: A talk by a single speaker
based on a non-academic situation
Section 3: A conversation with up to 4
speakers based on academic topics or
course-related situations
Section 4: A university-style lecture or talk
Approaching the listening tasks
Before you listen, survey the
questions and try to build up an idea
and reason for listening; e.g. what is
the topic? What is the situation? How
many characters are there?
Follow the instruction carefully, get
the information and answer the
question accurately
Example of Tasks
Complete the notes using no more than three
words.
1. In the mornings the student teachers
will …….. ( teach and observe)
2. student teachers could be teaching large
classes with up to …. (70 students)
3. Discussion groups are quite difficult to
arrange in Vietnamese classes but
not … … … … … … .. ( impossible)
Example of Task
Tapescript
Good morning everyone.
Welcome to the second year
of your teaching degree. My
name is Simon Taylor. I'm a
second year lecturer in the
education faculty. Today I'll
be giving you an overview of
the field trip to Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam, that you all
registered for at the end of
last year.
Example of Task
Sample task
Tick the three items which are discussed in the
talk.
A. Teaching schedule for student teachers
B. Safety issues for student teachers on the field
trip
C. Accommodation
D. How the field trip fits into the teaching degree
E. Vietnamese students' level of proficiency in
English
F. How the work requirements for the field trip
compare with the work requirements for
student teachers who remain in Australia
G. Quality of English language teaching in
Vietnamese universities
H. Textbooks commonly used in Vietnamese
English classes
Strategies – Test Tips
Your purpose of listening is
to identify what the
question requires you to
It is not necessary to
understand every word
that is spoken
You will hear the
information once only, so
prepare yourself by
anticipating what you will
hear
Read and analyse the
question as pre-listening
task
Further Help
CILL Core A 3/F
– ITELTS Listening Tapes
and CD-ROMs available
– More information at
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/
cill/ielts/
Further Help - CILL
CILL – Centre for
Independent Language
Learning Core A 3/F
– CILL teachers can give you
suggestions for improving
your listening skills.
References
You can find these books in CILL,
Room AG305:
Cambridge Practice Tests for the
IELTS, Books 1, 2 & 3 (with CD-ROM
for listening tests)
Insight into IELTS - an IELTS
preparation course
Useful websites
UGC Introductory site
http://www.ugccepa.com
IELTS homepage
http://www.ielts.org/index.htm
ELC homepage
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk
Questions
Please do not ask us (or any ELC
teacher) to predict what grade you
will get, as this is forbidden by the
IELTS organisation.