IELTS Listening Practice Test 17
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 two colleagues and a consultant talking about their new show.
Questions 1–6
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Why they were late
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Minutes late | |
Pete stopped for special | |
Anna needed to feed her | |
Anna waited | minutes |
Pete says Anna was behind a | |
Anna suggested taking a |
Questions 7–10
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a radio report about a surprising discovery at a coal mine in North Dakota.
Questions 11–16
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 17–18
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 19–20
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a conversation between a host and a NASA scientist about an Earth-observing instrument.
Questions 21–25
Complete the flowchart below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Modelling plant stress and farmer response
Questions 26–30
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a report about a study testing a new drug that could prevent bone loss in astronauts.
Questions 31–35
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 36–40
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Earlier research suggested that drugs widely used to treat osteoporosis might help against bone loss. The new study combined one of these drugs with NELL-1, a substance that helps to regrow bone . The resulting molecule, called BP-NELL-PEG, was given to mice aboard the ISS. Half the mice stayed on the ISS for weeks, while the rest were flown back to Earth after four-and-a-half weeks. Both sets of mice were given either the compound or a solution containing no medicine. The mice that received the compound showed a significant increase in bone , and no animals experienced any observable side .
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late for work | 1–10 | Table completion, Short-answer questions |
| 2 | A mammoth tusk in a coal mine | 11–20 | Multiple choice, Multiple choice (choose more than one) |
| 3 | Measuring plant stress from space | 21–30 | Flow-chart completion, Multiple choice |
| 4 | Protecting astronauts' bones | 31–40 | Sentence completion, Summary 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: Let's Learn English, Lesson 3: He Said - She Said. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 2: Miners Find Mammoth Remains Buried in North Dakota. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Taking the Temperature of Earth (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 4: Study: Drug Could Block Bone Loss in Astronauts in Space. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain