ielts, listening test | Canada Immigration

IELTS Listening Test | What Question-types to Expect?

Ninan Lawrence Published:
September 01, 2023

Good English language proficiency is a prerequisite if you are looking to work, live, or study in an English-speaking country like Canada. Over 8,000 educational institutions, businesses, and governments throughout the world recognize the IELTS test, making it one of the most reliable – as well as easily accessible – ways of evaluating one’s English-language proficiency. The practical application of English in the ‘everyday context’ is the main focus of IELTS assessment procedures.

The British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment all hold ownership of the IELTS exam. The test will evaluate your English-language Listening, Reading , Writing, and Speaking skills. The IELTS exam is evaluated on a scale of 1 to 9.

How does the IELTS Listening test look like?

The IELTS Listening module has 4 sections and each section has 10 questions with topics related to the general interest. There is absolutely no difference between the IELTS listening test of a GT module, compared to the Academic. The test taker needs to answer 40 questions with each question carrying 1 mark. The duration to complete the Listening module is 40 minutes where the audios take up to 30 minutes and a transfer time of 10 minutes will be given to transfer the answers from the question paper to the answer sheet.

Section 1 will be a conversation between 2 people, in a social context. Section 2 is a monologue or a speech on a social context. Section 3 usually is, again, a conversation between 2 or up to 4 people with regards to an educational or training context. Section 4 is a monologue, or a lecture given on an academic subject. The recordings are played one after another with enough time in between to read and review the answers you write.

What Question-types to expect in the listening module

A topic that is seldom touched or deferred to last-minute discussions and mocks, is what types of questions should one expect in the listening test. We at Owlspriority Immigration think differently. We think that it is important to know because it helps one to be better prepared. Below are the different types of questions one should expect – and hence, practice thoroughly – in the IELTS Listening test.

Multiple-choice questions: while listening to the audio recording, there will be a section for answering multiple-choice questions. There are two different kinds of multiple-choice questions: single-answer multiple-choice questions and two-or-more-answer multiple-choice questions. The words used in the question might not be exactly what you hear in the audio file. As a result, you must pay attention to synonyms and how words are paraphrased.

Map Labelling: for this type of questions, you would be given a map and asked to name the locations on it. The audio recording would help you understand where you are or where you need to start. Pay close attention to it at the start of the recording. To aid in locating the solutions, pay attention to the surroundings and any hints.

Questions based on sentence completion, note completion, table completion, or diagram completion: in these question types, you will be required to complete what is missing. However, you need to be proficient in grammar in order to properly guess the word. Though the questions may alter from the recordings, the responses should contain the precise phrases heard in the audio. Before transferring your answers to the answer sheet, remember to double-check the word count, spelling, and grammar.

Match the following: these questions are less prevalent than the others, although they do appear in the Listening section. In order to answer these questions, you must match a list of statements with the available answers. Typically, it would be names, locations, or dates. Look at the statements and pay close attention to the sort of details offered as options. To help you identify the solution, jot down all the details associated with that specific option on a side of the paper.

Contact us if you need help from our language experts. Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn about finding employment in Canada, making your initial days stress-free, etc.