IELTS Listening Band Scores & addressing concerns during the test

PREP advises you to thoroughly understand the IELTS Listening Band Scores before starting your practice. If you are not familiar with the scoring criteria for Listening, it will be difficult to self-assess your own proficiency. Let's join PREP to explore some notes on the scoring method and important considerations that you should not overlook.

I. IELTS Listening Band Scores

The IELTS Listening test consists of 40 questions. These questions are divided into 4 parts to assess the candidate's listening skills. The IELTS Academic test and the IELTS General test not only have similar test content but also use the same scoring system. If you want to achieve IELTS Listening Band Scores of 6.0 in the Listening skill, you need to answer correctly 23-26 questions. 

The IELTS Listening Test is scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 9 bands. Each band corresponds to a level of proficiency in English, with 9 being the highest and 0 indicating no attempt at the test. The score is based on the number of correct answers, and there is no penalty for incorrect responses. The IELTS Listening Band Scores are used by institutions and organizations worldwide to assess a candidate's ability to understand spoken English in various contexts, ranging from everyday conversations to academic lectures and presentations. A higher band score reflects a greater proficiency in listening comprehension and can enhance opportunities for study, work, or immigration in English-speaking countries.

Here are the standard IELTS Listening Band Scores:

II. Clarifying Concerns during the Listening Test

1. How many questions are in the IELTS Listening test?

There are a total of 40 questions, with 10 questions in each part.

2. How many times will the candidates be able to listen to the audio during the test?

For the Listening test, candidates are only allowed to listen to the recording once. Therefore, it is essential to prepare and possess the necessary skills to perform the test to the best of their abilities. These skills include concentration and answering questions effectively.

3. How many parts are there in the IELTS Listening test?

The IELTS Listening test consists of a total of 4 parts. Parts 1 and 2 focus on everyday social communication topics, while Parts 3 and 4 have an academic emphasis.

4. How long does the IELTS Listening test last?

Candidates will have a total of 40 minutes to complete this section. The listening and answering time is 30 minutes, and the remaining 10 minutes are allocated for transferring answers to the answer sheet.

5. What is an Answer Sheet?

An Answer Sheet is a paper sheet used by candidates to write down their answers for the IELTS Listening and Reading tests. The examiners will score the candidates based on the answers recorded on the Answer Sheet. To avoid confusion during the test, candidates should practice by printing out an IELTS Listening Answer Sheet and practicing filling in the answers while studying alone or at home.

6. In which accent will the IELTS Listening test be conducted?

Since this is an international English language test, candidates will hear various accents in the audio recordings, without being limited to any specific accent.

7. Will candidates have enough time to read the questions before attempting to answer them?

Candidates will have enough time to read the questions before answering them. Therefore, it is important to make good use of this short period. In addition, some techniques can be applied, such as underlining keywords, and predicting the type of word or the meaning of a word. This way, you will know which question you are listening to.

8. Is it important to have correct spelling in the answers?

Certainly, it is important because examiners will not award points for answers with incorrect spelling.

9. What does the phrase "Two words and/or a number" mean?

As stated in the instructions, you can write two words and one number on the Answer Sheet. For example: "40 Brooklyn street." Therefore, it is important to carefully read the question requirements and avoid writing more than two words and one number.

III. Learn, Practice, and Excel: Your IELTS Blueprint

Through this article, we have addressed the IELTS Listening Band Scores and answered 9 common questions that candidates often encounter during the test. If you’re ready to learn, practice, and excel, PREP’s blueprint for IELTS success is exactly what you need. 

• IELTS learning: Break Barriers, Achieve Band 7+