IELTS Listening · Guide

Multiple Choice in IELTS Listening (A, B or C): how to choose the answer

You hear a conversation or talk and choose one correct option from A, B or C for each question. The stem is a question or the start of a sentence, and the options are paraphrases, usually all of which are mentioned in some form. The task tests whether you follow what a speaker finally says, thinks or decides, not whether you can catch a keyword.

About Listening practice

Format

Mostly in Parts 2 and 3, as a group of about 4 to 6 questions. The number of sets varies from test to test, and Part 3 is where opinion and attitude questions are most common.
One mark per question. You click one option, and you can change it freely until the 2-minute check at the end of the test is over.
Questions follow the order of the recording, so the answer to the next question always comes after the answer to the one you are on.
The correct option is a paraphrase of what is said; each wrong option is usually mentioned, hinted at or true in another context.
Stems range from facts (what, when, why) to opinions, attitudes and predictions about what a speaker will do next.

Strategy

In the reading time, underline the key idea in each stem, then cut every option to two or three words: 'Increase the budget' becomes 'more money'. You cannot hold nine full sentences in your head while listening.
Decide what kind of answer the stem needs: a reason, a decision, a problem, a feeling or a next step. A stem that asks why needs a reason, so an option stating only when something happened cannot be right.
Wait for the topic in the stem to be introduced, then listen to the whole discussion of it. Do not answer from the first sentence the speaker says about it.
Treat each option as a hypothesis and mark it as it is dealt with: tick if confirmed, cross if rejected, question mark if unclear. On screen you can highlight the options you cross out.
Listen for the turn: 'I assumed', 'at first', 'we thought... but', 'in the end'. The option that survives the turn is the answer. 'I assumed the lab would be free, but it's booked all week, so I'll use the studio' gives the studio.
For opinion and attitude questions, listen to the strength of the language ('slightly disappointing' against 'completely useless') and make sure you are tracking the right speaker when two people disagree.
Click your choice while the speaker is still finishing the point and move straight to the next stem. Use the 2-minute check for mis-clicks and blanks, not for second-guessing answers you cannot re-listen to.

Common traps

The word-match option. It repeats the speaker's words exactly, which feels reassuring and is usually the distractor; the correct option is normally in different words.
The first-mentioned option. A speaker proposes something and then rejects it, so answering at first mention is exactly what the question is designed to catch.
The true-but-irrelevant option. It is stated in the recording but does not answer this stem, so it must be checked against the question word, not just against what you heard.
The overstated option. Words such as 'always', 'only' and 'completely' turn something the speaker said ('usually', 'mainly') into something false.
The wrong speaker. In Part 3 one student suggests and the other objects; a stem about what Tom thinks needs Tom's view, not Anna's.
Deliberating after the answer has passed, which makes you miss the next question as well and turns one lost mark into two.

Practise it inside a real Listening section

Practice on PrepFreely is always a complete section, so you meet this question type in the same place and proportion as on test day. Random sections never repeat until you've done them all. Every answer is explained.

Practise Listening Take the Listening course

FAQ

Will I hear the correct option word for word?

Rarely. The options are paraphrases of what is said, so you listen for the meaning and treat an exact match with suspicion.

Is it worth guessing?

Yes. There is no negative marking and there is a one in three chance, so never leave a multiple-choice question unanswered.

Can I change an answer?

On computer you can until the checking time ends, but you cannot hear the recording again, so change an answer only for a mis-click or a mistake you can name.

Which parts have this task?

Mostly Parts 2 and 3, although the mix of tasks differs between tests and you should be ready for it anywhere.

How is this different from the choose-two task?

Here one option out of three is correct for each question. In choose-two you pick two out of five, and each correct letter earns its own mark.

More IELTS Listening guides

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