What are the IELTS Listening Question Types?

You have probably completed your preparation and done some practice tests. The final thing is to know the question types you would expect in the exam because we don’t like surprises (especially when it comes to exam). You can find information on the exam format in the official website.

Listening test question types – full list for your reference:

1. Multiple choice questions: The multiple-choice questions include selection of one answer and sometimes you have to select more than one option which can be tricky. The key thing is to pay attention and understand the question carefully.
2. Matching: You will need to match two information such as relationships or connection between facts. It could be something as simple as connecting banana with fruit and potato with vegetable to two people talking about something and relating something completely different which may not be facts, but we have to listen carefully and make connection that is correct based on understanding.
3. Plan: Completing a plan of a building like where is the kitchen, hallway etc.
4. Map: Similar to listening to the plan, map is a very common one to expect in the test. They intentionally put dialogues in which they say something first and then correct themselves. The test taker many times fills in the answer when it is said first and misses it when the speaker corrects herself.
5. Diagram: Such as a piece of furniture diagram. If speakers are talking about a chair diagram which they are fixing where they mention four legs, flexible arm rest, which size of the screw goes where etc.
6. Form: It is believed that forms are the easiest one. One of the risk areas is if you don’t know that O can be 0. If someone says alphabet O, it could mean zero so be careful of the context and fill in the details carefully in your “hotel room booking website”.
7. Note: This will be like a format in which you have to fill in words or numbers. It is important to make sure you read the instructions carefully like write only one word, no more than three words etc.
8. Table: A table format with half details filled and half left blank for test taker to fill in while listening.
9. Flow-chart: This can get tricky if not paid attention. The good thing is that since this is a flow chart, the speaker will describe it in a sequence, and it is easy to enter as one listens.
10. Sentence completion: This is the hardest of all because it is easy to misspell something or fail to understand so be very careful. This is the portion that is looked at after the recording stops and test takers check back for any errors.
11. Short answer questions: This is hardest of all because answering to short answers based on your understanding is more complicated than just completing the sentence based on what you heard. More than listening, you need to interpret what is said.

The listening test can be your weapon if you are really good at English (or good at listening to Hollywood movies and series or your favorite youtuber). You can really get 9 bands if you have understood the question types beforehand and then just need to focus on the listener and put down the answers with confidence.