What is the difference between raw scores and band scores?

The Listening and Reading parts of the IELTS test are scored out of 40 and then converted to a band score which ranges from band 1 to band 9. The Listening and Reading tests contain 40 questions and each correct question will be awarded 1 mark (so the maximum a test taker can score here is 40). Band scores, ranging from band 1 to band 9, are awarded based on the raw scores.

Can I do all parts of the test on the same day?

The Listening, Reading, and Writing parts of the test are completed immediately after each other on the same day. In some test centres, you will sit the Speaking test on the same day, or up to 7 days before or after your test date. If you take IELTS on computer, the Speaking test will be taken on the same day, either before, or after the other three parts of the test.

Can I do all parts of the IELTS test on computer?

If you take an IELTS on Computer test, the Reading, Writing and Listening parts of the IELTS test are completed on a computer, but the Speaking test is completed face-to-face with an IELTS examiner.

What accents can be heard in the Listening and Speaking tests?

As IELTS is an international test, a variety of voices and native-speaker accents are used in both the General Training and Academic tests.

In the Listening test, can I get a second chance to hear the recording if I don't hear it the first time?

In the IELTS Listening test, the recording is played once only. It is important to concentrate from the beginning until the end for the whole 30 minutes.

Any tips or tricks to score full marks in the last section of the Listening test?

Lectures follow a predictable pattern or structure. The more lectures you listen to, the more you understand that structure. Also, knowing more words can help you better understand.

Can I listen to the recording twice in my Listening test?

No. In the IELTS Listening test, each recording is played once only.

Everything you need to prepare for IELTS Listening

The IELTS Listening is the same for both the IELTS Academic test and General Training test. The Listening test assesses your ability to understand main ideas, detailed information, opinions, purpose and attitudes of the speakers, as well as your ability to follow the development of ideas.

You will listen to 4 recordings in your Listening test and need to answer 40 questions based on these recordings. The first two recordings deal with situations you might experience in an everyday context. The last two recordings, however, focus on situations that might occur in an education or training context.

In recordings 1 and 3 you will hear a conversation between two or more speakers, however in recordings 2 and 4 will hear a monologue. You will need to answer questions connected to the recordings ranging from multiple choice to matching information, headings, features and sentence endings, as well as sentence, summary, note, table, diagram or flow-chart completion.

If you want to apply for an extension to family, spouse or partner visa to the UK, you will most likely need to take Life Skills A2 test to prove your English listening and speaking skills.

The IELTS for UKVI tests are a secure English-language test (SELT) accepted by the United Kingdom Visa and Immigration Department as proof of your English-language proficiency. Life Skills A2 tests your listening and speaking skills at the level of A2 in the Common European Framework (CEFR) in a 16 to 18-minute test with an examiner and one other test taker. The second test taker’s performance will not affect your test results.

You will be assessed on your ability to listen and respond to spoken English where you have to obtain and convey basic information and communicate on familiar topics.

The examiner might ask you to describe a topic, give opinions or preferences and justify those, and explain and expand on a topic. You will also be expected to communicate with both the examiner and the other test taker.