2.3. How Listening Is Marked
Learn how 40 answers become a band, and why a blank is the worst answer of all.
The short version
40 questions, 40 marks.
Nothing is taken off for a wrong answer.
Spelling is part of the mark.
One table is used for both versions.
One mark for each question
Every question is worth one mark, whatever its type. There are no part marks and no examiner judgement. An answer is right or it is wrong.
Nothing is taken off for a wrong answer
A wrong answer and an empty box both score zero. So a guess can only ever help you, and in Listening you will always have something to guess from.
Spelling and plurals are part of the mark
The marker checks the word you wrote against the word on the key. A misspelling is wrong, and so is a singular where the speaker said a plural. When a name is spelled out for you, copy the letters exactly.
Marks become a band
Unlike Reading, Listening uses the same conversion for both versions of the test. The exact table shifts slightly between papers.
| Band | Correct answers |
|---|---|
| 8 | about 35 |
| 7 | about 30 |
| 6 | about 23 |
| 5 | about 16 |
A rough guide only. The exact cut-off moves a mark or two between papers, and one table serves both versions of the test.
Quiz time3 questions
Three quick questions on marking.
Each question
Choose the value of one question.
How many marks is each question worth?
A wrong answer
Choose what happens.
What happens if you write a wrong answer?
The two versions
Choose the true statement.
Do Academic and General Training share a Listening table?
Recap
Forty questions, forty marks, one mark each.
Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so never leave a blank.
Both versions of IELTS use the same Listening table.
Next: the pauses in the recording, and what to do with them.