IELTS Listening Practice Test 131
4 parts · 40 questions · about 32 minutes of audio. Below are all the questions. Take the test in your free dashboard to play the recordings, answer as you listen, and get your band score with the transcript of every answer.
Part 1: Questions 1–10
You will hear a conversation about how early interests and education influenced a person's later work.
Questions 1–10
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Career and Research Profile
| Stage | Aspect | Response |
|---|---|---|
Early childhood | Initial source of captivation | |
Early ambition | Intended profession | |
Later adolescence | Obstacle to that aspiration | |
University | Principal academic discipline | |
Post-graduation | Capacity during an early planetary mission | |
After university | Occupational domain entered | |
Mid-1980s | Period allocated to first book project | |
Research phase | Quantity of lunar astronauts consulted | |
Later missions | Duration of later crews' surface residence | |
Later missions | Scientific function undertaken by later crews |
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio program about two English expressions for when things go wrong.
Questions 11–12
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 13–14
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 15–20
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
The camping trip example illustrates how 'going sideways' can involve a series of strange events. On the first night, a took all the food. The following night, covered the tent in webs. On the third day, while swimming in the , the speaker was bitten by a . The speaker was surprised because they didn't know that such animals could . In the end, the speaker suggests that on a camping trip that has gone sideways, anything is .
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a discussion between a host and two specialists about aerial photography after hurricanes.
Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 26–30
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a researcher describe how an unconventional scientific study was organised with engineering specialists and a crew.
Questions 31–35
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Project Preparation Notes
Building the team
- A pivotal contact’s academic field was not biology; he was a .
- Team members qualified in are essential.
Adapting procedures
- A dedicated system for the fluids is required.
- The procedure given to the crew must remain .
Complexity and evaluation
- Excessively intricate designs may lower the awarded.
Questions 36–40
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Childhood Fascination and Career Growth | 1–10 | Table completion |
| 2 | When Plans Go Wrong | 11–20 | Multiple choice (choose more than one), Summary completion |
| 3 | Mapping Storm Damage from Aircraft | 21–30 | Multiple choice, Sentence completion |
| 4 | Coordinating a Collaborative Research Project | 31–40 | Note completion, Multiple choice |
How to use it
- Open the test in your dashboard. Each part has its own track with the spoken instructions and the time to read the questions, as in the real exam.
- For exam practice, play each part once at 1× speed. To train your ear, slow it down or replay sections.
- Select words in a question to highlight the keywords you are listening for.
- After submitting, use “Show in transcript” to see exactly where each answer was said.
Audio sources
The recordings are real, copyright-free audio. The questions are written by Sprechify, and the spoken instructions use a synthetic voice.
- Part 1: Lessons of Apollo (NASA Houston We Have a Podcast). NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston We Have a Podcast (NASA audio is generally not subject to copyright in the US)
- Part 2: Let's Talk about 'Going South'. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: After a hurricane hits... NOAA’s Emergency Response Aerial Imagery (NOAA Ocean Podcast). NOAA National Ocean Service, NOAA Ocean Podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: ISS Results: Stem Cells in Space (NASA Houston We Have a Podcast). NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston We Have a Podcast (NASA audio is generally not subject to copyright in the US)