IELTS Listening Practice Test 33
4 parts · 40 questions · about 34 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 an interview with an engineer about her schooling and career path.
Questions 1–6
Complete the form below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Education and Career Profile
Name: Emily Nelson
Childhood environment: town
Local schooling: school district
First intended profession: teacher
Adviser’s description of university maths course: focused on science
Design faculty visited: School of Design
Degree eventually chosen: engineering
Questions 7–10
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a science news report about a spacecraft's record-breaking approach to the sun.
Questions 11–12
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 13–14
Choose TWO letters, A–E.
Questions 15–20
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Parker Solar Probe – mission notes
Getting into position
- Final gravitational boost from a close pass of
Heat protection
- Protective covering made from a substance
- Engineered to endure up to degrees Celsius
- Scientific instruments positioned the covering
The team
- Nour Rawafi's group designed and built the craft and now it
Research results
- Data from 2023 deepened knowledge of the
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear part of a podcast in which a host and two scientists discuss space research.
Questions 21–24
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Questions 25–30
Choose SIX answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 25–30.
- A does not completely protect the material from Earth's atmosphere
- B keeps material for later study
- C searches for life beyond Earth
- D identifies harmful microbes
- E determines whether an infection needs medicine
- F delivers supplies to a moving destination
- G maps the surface to choose a sampling site
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a report looking back at major space exploration events of 2024.
Questions 31–35
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Missions in early 2024
- US Odysseus mission: arrived at its destination on
- NASA's Odysseus data: aimed to enhance touchdown and safety
- Japanese SLIM probe: landed no more than from its target
- Chinese Chang’e 6: returned collected material, including
- European Hera mission: assess whether an asteroid’s could be altered
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 | An engineer's path into NASA | 1–10 | Form completion, Multiple choice |
| 2 | A record pass by the Sun | 11–20 | Multiple choice (choose more than one), Note completion |
| 3 | Bringing samples back to Earth | 21–30 | Short-answer questions, Matching features |
| 4 | A busy year in space | 31–40 | Note 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: The Flight Directors' Flight Director (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: NASA Says Spacecraft Made Closest-Ever Pass to Sun. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: The Search for Life (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: 2024 Another Big Year for Space Exploration. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain