IELTS Listening Practice Test 83
4 parts · 40 questions · about 31 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 podcast interview about a scientist's career change into medical work.
Questions 1–7
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Career History
Early research
- His main interest lay in equipment and .
- The team operated from a on site.
Voluntary work
- He joined a local as a volunteer.
- He valued making a on individuals’ lives.
Move into medicine
- The idea was first raised at a .
- A contact mentioned demand for physics experts in .
- Another adviser had formerly been an .
Questions 8–10
Answer the questions below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear a talk about the first president of the United States.
Questions 11–15
Complete the table below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Formative Years
| Category | Particulars |
|---|---|
Year of birth | |
Age when his father passed away | |
First occupation | |
Replacement for university | |
Military force he served in |
Questions 16–20
Choose the correct letter, A–G, next to Questions 16–20.
- A It was attributed to him but was actually untrue.
- B It was unusually large compared with most men.
- C It was admired for its exceptional quality.
- D It was concealed from all but a few individuals.
- E It began to decline while he was still young.
- F It required repeated surgery.
- G It was noted for its attractiveness.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a radio interview about an alternative method of stabilising coastlines.
Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 26–30
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
How Salt Marshes Help the Coast
- Wave energy is absorbed by the hollow, rigid of the plants.
- carried in the water settle out and build up the surface.
- The surface rises, so it can keep pace with .
- Taking particles out of the water improves .
- Carbon dioxide is taken in and in the soil.
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear an engineer giving a guided tour of a reusable craft during maintenance.
Questions 31–35
Label the diagram below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
The orbiter
Questions 36–40
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Move into Medical Physics | 1–10 | Note completion, Short-answer questions |
| 2 | Inventing the Presidency | 11–20 | Table completion, Matching features |
| 3 | Natural Approaches to Coastal Defence | 21–30 | Multiple choice, Note completion |
| 4 | Thermal Shield Maintenance | 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: Positive Impacts (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: George Washington: Reluctant. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: Living Shorelines (NOAA Diving Deeper podcast). NOAA National Ocean Service, Diving Deeper podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: KSC Tour with Jon Cowart (NASA Kennedy Space Center video). NASA Kennedy Space Center video, NASA Image and Video Library (NASA media is generally not subject to copyright in the US)