IELTS Listening Practice Test 21
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 conversation between two friends participating in a bird count.
Questions 1–4
Answer the questions below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 5–10
Complete the form below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
The man with the briefcase
Anna's favorite flavor:
Anna thinks the man is a:
Item left by the man:
Contents of the briefcase:
Man's occupation:
Man's favorite flavor:
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a talk about an old subway station in New York City.
Questions 11–14
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Old City Hall Station
New York’s subway opened in . City Hall Station was one of the city’s first underground stations. It was built at a time when many public buildings were designed to appear , and the aim was to show that New York could compete culturally with great cities. Inside, the walls rise to create a high, round shape called a .
Questions 15–20
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 15–20.
- A It is used to turn trains around.
- B It lets museum members visit a few times a year.
- C It cannot fit long trains.
- D It was stopped by security concerns.
- E It lets riders stay on a train after the last stop.
- F It is just over 200 feet long.
- G It was described as a celebration of curves.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast interview about artificial gravity and human spaceflight.
Questions 21–22
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 23–24
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 25–30
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Artificial gravity
- The man who first considered artificial gravity is called its
- He proposed the first rotating
- Artificial gravity can use force instead of gravity
- Einstein: gravity and are the same
- Wernher von Braun designed a gravity
- In the film 2001, the space hotel was one across
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a report about NASA’s plans to build a railway system on the moon.
Questions 31–35
Label the diagram below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
The FLOAT lunar railway
Questions 36–40
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A bird count | 1–10 | Short-answer questions, Form completion |
| 2 | An old New York subway station | 11–20 | Summary completion, Matching features |
| 3 | Artificial gravity | 21–30 | Multiple choice (choose more than one), Note completion |
| 4 | A railway on the Moon | 31–40 | Diagram label completion, Sentence 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 28: For the Birds. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 2: Art, Culture of an Old New York Train Station. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Artificial Gravity (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: NASA Details Plans for Railway System on the Moon. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain