IELTS (International English Testing System) What can candidates expect? What can candidates expect? What do students tend to have problems with? What do students tend to have problems with?

1st Test (40 minutes) Listening

Listening Test - Format Candidates listen to 4 recorded texts – 2 conversations and 2 monologues. Sample ListeningSample Listening These feature a variety of English accents. Candidates are given time to read the questions before each text starts. The recording is played only once.

Listening test (continued) write down answers in the test booklet while listening. At the end of each section, candidates will have 30 seconds to check the answers. At the end of the test, candidates are given 10 minutes to transfer their answers to the official answer sheet. Poor spelling and grammar are penalized.

Listening – Question Types multiple choice short-answer questions sentence completion note/summary/flow-chart/table completion labeling a diagram classification matching

Listening Test - Challenges Each recording played only once. Each recording played only once. Must write and listen simultaneously. Must write and listen simultaneously. Range of accents used. Range of accents used. Must follow line of argument or thought. Must follow line of argument or thought. Unfamiliar vocabulary. Unfamiliar vocabulary. Correct spelling required. Correct spelling required.