IELTS Listening tips: where each part loses marks and how to fix it

IELTS Listening has 4 parts and 40 questions in about 30 minutes, and you hear each recording once. The test is the same for Academic and General Training. Marks are not lost the same way in all four parts, so the most useful tip depends on the part you're in.

We analysed 7,111 full-length Listening mocks on GoPrep with at least one non-empty answer in every part. Answers scoring 0, including blanks, rose from 32% in Part 1 to 51% in Part 4. Empty boxes stayed around 3% in Parts 1 to 3, then jumped to 14% in Part 4. So in the first three parts, most lost marks were boxes filled in but scored 0. In Part 4, more than 1 in 4 lost marks was a box left empty.

Two patterns matter for how you practise:

• In Parts 1 to 3, 9 in 10 lost marks were answers that were written but scored 0. That can be a misspelled word, the wrong number or an option the speaker ruled out.
• In Part 4, more than 1 in 4 lost marks was an empty box, and Part 4 held 2 in 3 of all the blanks in the test (9,656 of 15,199).

The data shows where marks were lost, not why, but the two kinds of loss call for different habits. Blanks in Part 4 also came in runs: after an empty box, the next Part 4 answer was empty half the time (4,267 of 8,463), against 9% after an answered one (4,865 of 55,536). In 22% of mocks, Part 4 had 2 or more empty boxes in a row: 40% of mocks with 22 or fewer correct answers, 13% at 23 to 29, 6% at 30 to 34.

Part 1: an everyday conversation

ielts.org describes Part 1 as a conversation between two speakers in an everyday, social situation, for example booking a course. In GoPrep mocks, 9 in 10 Part 1 questions were forms, notes or tables to complete, and the part still lost 1 in 3 answers.

• Predict the answer type before the audio. For each gap, decide what you expect: a surname, a date, a price, a phone number. Then you know what to catch.
• Spell every letter right. Names may be spelled out letter by letter, and a word with a spelling error is marked wrong. Practise the letters that are easy to mix up, such as A, E and I, or G and J. Our guide to IELTS Listening spelling lists the words that cost the most marks.
• Wait for the change. Speakers correct themselves: a date moves, a price drops with a discount. The first number you hear is not always the answer.

For the full method on forms and notes, see IELTS Listening form completion.

Part 2: one speaker, an everyday topic

In Part 2 there is only one main speaker, for example a guide describing a park or a new sports centre. In GoPrep mocks, almost all map, plan and diagram labelling questions (12,727 of 13,733) and 6 in 10 choose two or three questions sat in Part 2. Blanks were the lowest of any part (2%), but 35% of answers were filled in and scored 0.

• On a map, find where the speaker starts and read every label before the audio begins. Then follow the route as the speaker moves. Our guide to IELTS Listening map labelling covers the direction phrases.
• In choose two or three, expect several options to be mentioned. The speaker may mention an option and then rule it out. Tick only what is confirmed.

Part 3: a conversation about study

Part 3 is a conversation between two main speakers in an educational or training situation, for example two students discussing an assignment. In GoPrep mocks, 7 in 10 Part 3 questions were matching or multiple choice (49,535 of 71,110 answers), and this part had the most wrong answers that were written down: 40%.

• Track who says what. One speaker suggests, the other agrees or pushes back. The answer is where they end up, not the first idea on the table.
• Don't choose an option because you heard its word. A wrong option can repeat a word from the recording, while the right one may use a paraphrase: the same idea in other words, like free for you won't pay anything.

Both formats are covered in IELTS Listening multiple choice and matching.

Part 4: an academic talk

In Part 4 only one person speaks on an academic subject, like a short lecture. In GoPrep mocks, almost 9 in 10 Part 4 questions were form, note or sentence completion (62,299 of 71,110), and 14% of all Part 4 answers were left blank.

• Use the notes as a map. Headings in the notes follow the talk. Signposts like moving on to or the second reason tell you which heading you're under.
• If you miss a gap, let it go. ielts.org says the questions are in the same order as the information in the recording. Listen for the next answer, and put a guess in the missed box at the end.
• Write the words you hear. For completion tasks, ielts.org says you do not have to change the words in the recording in any way. Keep to the word limit: you will lose the mark for writing more.

Read it in two ways:

• Gap-fill tasks carry most of the loss. Form, note, sentence and table completion together made up 6 in 10 lost marks. They also had the most blanks: 9% of completion answers were left empty, against less than 1% in multiple choice.
• Choice tasks are rarely blank, but about 1 in 3 multiple choice and matching answers still scored 0.

In every group from band 6 up, Part 4 had about twice as many wrong answers as Part 1. What that suggests for your practice:

• 22 or fewer: half of Part 1 answers scored 0. Start with Part 1 forms: names, numbers and dates. Part 1 had the fewest wrong answers in every group, so its marks are the closest to reach.
• 23 to 29: Part 1 still lost 1 in 4 answers, about 2 to 3 marks per test. Band 7 needs about 30 correct, so for a test at 27 or 28, Part 1 alone can hold most of the gap.
• 30 to 34: Part 3 caught up with Part 4 (24% and 26% scored 0). Put Part 3 multiple choice and matching next to your Part 4 practice.
• 35 or more: about 3 marks lost per test, spread across all parts. Review each one.

Four of the five answers came after a word that looked like the answer: a first date, a full price, a camera, a main entrance. Predicting the type told you what to catch. Waiting for the speaker to finish the thought told you which one.

To choose each week's focus, count your lost marks by part in your latest full test. The part with the most goes first. For full tests with audio and answer keys, see which Cambridge IELTS books to use.

After every test, review in two steps. First, mark every blank and every wrong answer. Then replay each passage and check the transcript to find the likely cause. A blank may mean you lost your place, missed a word or ran out of time, and only the replay tells you which. Keep a short error log like this one (our examples):

Between tests, listen to 15 to 20 minutes of talks or podcasts a day, and mix accents: IELTS uses British, Australian, New Zealand and North American accents, among others.