Part 1 is a conversation about an everyday situation, and you complete a form or notes with names, numbers, dates and short phrases. Read ahead to predict each answer, write exactly what you hear within the word limit, and watch for speakers who correct themselves.
At a glance
- Where
- Listening Part 1 (and often Part 4)
- How many
- 10 questions in Part 1
- Audio
- Two speakers in an everyday situation
- Marking
- Spelling must be correct; names are often spelled out
How to answer, step by step
- Use the time before the audio to read the form and predict each answer: a surname, a phone number, a day, a price.
- Listen for the words around each gap; the answer usually comes right after a paraphrase of the label.
- When a name is spelled out, write each letter as you hear it.
- Keep listening after you hear a possible answer: speakers often change it ("sorry, I mean the 15th").
- Check spelling, plural endings and the word limit when you transfer or review.
Common mistakes
- Corrections and changes of mind. The first number you hear is often wrong.
- Similar-sounding letters and numbers: thirteen and thirty, A and E, G and J.
- Writing more words than the limit allows.
Worked example
From Skillora IELTS Academic Mock Test 1 · Listening Part 1, Question 1
Course chosen: Beginners' ______ (Thursday evenings)
Answer: pottery
Daniel asks about the course for beginners, and the receptionist confirms it. The form already says "Beginners'", so the gap needs the subject: pottery.
“I saw there's a pottery course for beginners?”
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