IELTS Listening Practice Test 135
4 parts · 40 questions · about 30 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 briefing about coordinating scientific experiments during a forthcoming work assignment.
Questions 1–7
Complete the form below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Research Assignment Form
Assignment details
- This is the speaker’s time in the role.
- Typical duration of the assignment: approximately months.
- The supporting vehicle departs when it .
- The coordinator also resolves any that arise.
- Human research requires awareness of crew restrictions and .
- Approximate number of personnel during the whole period: .
- Private passengers are referred to as .
Questions 8–10
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio programme about an English expression that people use before important events.
Questions 11–15
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 16–20
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
An Inventor's Pitch
The forthcoming meeting
- Audience: a group of
- Written document: a detailed
- Proof of demand:
- Sample model: a of the invention
- Start: tomorrow
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast host talking to two marine biologists about their work with seal pups during the breeding season.
Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 26–30
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–I, next to Questions 26–30.
The nursing period and field support
During the nursing phase a mother and her pup stay side by side for a brief span of six to seven weeks — some Drop or choose answer days in total. The female does not leave to hunt; she lives off the fat she has stored and turns it into Drop or choose answer for her offspring. As a result the pup's weight climbs from roughly 35 pounds at birth to almost Drop or choose answer pounds by the time it is weaned. Managing each pair across this short window requires cooperation with a range of Drop or choose answer. Many hours donated by helpers are spent carrying out Drop or choose answer on the beach and alerting biologists when problems arise.
- A competitors
- B fishing
- C outreach
- D forty
- E seven
- F two hundred
- G milk
- H blubber
- I partners
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a marine scientist discussing techniques used to track the recovery of an endangered shark species.
Questions 31–35
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 36–40
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
New monitoring tools
Underwater camera stations
- Shape compared to a small
- A container of suspended beneath the cameras attracts the sharks
- Stereo cameras fitted with lasers reveal each animal's
- Distinctive fin patterns allow recognition of , enabling a population estimate
Genetic sampling
- Detection of in water samples may locate areas of high occurrence
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coordinating a Research Assignment | 1–10 | Form completion, Short-answer questions |
| 2 | Preparing for a Big Moment | 11–20 | Multiple choice, Note completion |
| 3 | Watching Over a Wild Seal Colony | 21–30 | Multiple choice, Summary completion (word list) |
| 4 | Monitoring Shark Populations | 31–40 | Sentence completion, Note completion |
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: Station Science 2021 (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: It’s Showtime!. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Hawaiian Monk Seal Pupping Season (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: Oceanic Whitetip Sharks: A Plan for Recovery (NOAA Fisheries, Dive In podcast). NOAA Fisheries, Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)