IELTS Listening Practice Test 3
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 woman getting help choosing what to wear for an evening out.
Questions 1–10
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Anna chooses clothes
| Item | Comment | Decision |
|---|---|---|
Jeans and a t-shirt | too | not chosen |
Green dress | not the right size; too | take off |
Green shirt | too | try again |
Skirt | too | does not match |
Correct size | try again | |
Formal clothes | look great for a | Genie realizes a mistake |
Belt | should be | Genie agrees |
Outer garment | Anna loves the | Genie agrees |
Hat | take it | that’s better |
Evening plan | go to the | Anna is ready |
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a talk about the history of American cookbooks.
Questions 11–12
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 13–14
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 15–20
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
The history of American cookbooks
Early American cookbooks
- The first American cookbook was published in 1796
- Amelia Simmons wanted to improve the new generation of in the US
After the Civil War
- Cookbooks became more
- Southern cookbooks offered a beautiful version of the old South
Community cookbooks
- Groups put them together in order to raise
Changes in technology
- Late 19th century: recipes reflected fears about food containing
- 1930s: refrigerators became common in American homes
The publishing industry
- Publishing companies have most influence over content
- 21st century: food websites mean publishers have less
Physical cookbooks today
- Popular as presents because they are considered
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a podcast discussion with students and a host about a student-built camera mount for the space station.
Questions 21–25
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 26–30
Who says each of the following things? Choose the correct letter, A–D, next to Questions 26–30. NB You may choose any letter more than once.
- A Glenn Johnson
- B Shane Johnson
- C the host
- D Mike Bennett
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a science report about a new artificial intelligence tool that finds and confirms supernovas.
Questions 31–36
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Notes on the supernova research
About supernovas
- A supernova is an extremely bright explosion that happens at the end of a star's
- Telescopes repeatedly collect images of the night sky and them to identify differences
The new AI system
- Robotic telescopes currently give human scientists a of possible supernovas to examine
- The project was led by Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois
- Team chief: Adam Miller, an assistant of Physics and Astronomy
- The team told the international astronomical about its success
- Before this success, researchers spent over hours examining telescope data
Questions 37–40
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
How the BTSbot confirmed a supernova
| Stage in the process | Details |
|---|---|
Supernova identified by the AI | Date of identification: |
Extra data requested by the BTSbot | Source: an observatory in |
In-depth observations of the object's spectrum | Telescope used: the Machine |
Classification of the supernova | Type: |
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna chooses clothes | 1–10 | Table completion |
| 2 | Cookbooks and American Culture | 11–20 | Multiple choice (choose more than one), Note completion |
| 3 | Student-Built Camera Mount | 21–30 | Sentence completion, Matching features |
| 4 | AI tool for discovering supernovas | 31–40 | Note completion, Table 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 14: How About This?. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 2: Cookbooks Show American Culture. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: The Student-Built Camera Mount (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: Researchers Build First AI Tool to Discover Supernovas. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain