IELTS Listening Practice Test 85
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 person's early interests and educational path.
Questions 1–10
Complete the form below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Personal Background Record
Early influences
- Age at which a relative claimed he first discussed relocating from Earth:
- Subject of the book his mother gave him:
- Age when he received that book:
- Intended profession after being inspired by early launches:
- Scientific subject the scientist recommended alongside other technical disciplines:
Education and choices
- First institution he applied to before receiving alternative advice:
- Person who recommended he apply to an elite East Coast university:
- Financial support that removed his concern about costs:
- Topic the son said was acceptable to contemplate:
- Subject area in which he felt most competent:
Part 2: Questions 11–20
You will hear an educational talk about how to establish and run a club for language learners.
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 AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
Practical Steps for Establishing a Club
Recruiting participants
- Teachers: display notices in about the initial gathering.
- Workplace setting: circulate a message to regarding the club.
- Open membership: use websites to publicise gatherings and liaise with .
Selecting a venue
- Choose a venue that is readily accessible.
- The venue must be so attendees feel at ease.
- Always obtain the owners’ before using the premises.
Part 3: Questions 21–30
You will hear a discussion about marine spatial planning between a host and an expert.
Questions 21–25
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 26–30
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A–I, next to Questions 26–30.
Brian groups the benefits into three categories: Drop or choose answer benefits, Drop or choose answer benefits, and the advantage of an Drop or choose answer planning process. He gives the example of making Drop or choose answer use of space to illustrate the first category. For the second category, he mentions the need to reduce Drop or choose answer impacts over time.
- A public
- B efficient
- C planning
- D cumulative
- E economic and social
- F minimizing
- G environmental
- H sensitive
- I integrated
Part 4: Questions 31–40
You will hear a podcast interview about the importance of precise timekeeping for navigation systems.
Questions 31–35
Complete the summary below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Clocks designed for lunar positioning must receive to avoid restarting, which would require a and synchronization cycle. These clocks also need to with each other to maintain a shared time reference. Since the Moon and Earth occupy different , their clocks tick at varying rates. Ground-based clocks are more than those in space, reducing the impact of small errors.
Questions 36–40
Complete the flowchart below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
About this listening test
| Part | Recording | Questions | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Formative Influences and Career Decisions | 1–10 | Form completion |
| 2 | Organising a Language Practice Club | 11–20 | Multiple choice (choose more than one), Note completion |
| 3 | Balancing Ocean Resource Use | 21–30 | Multiple choice, Summary completion (word list) |
| 4 | Precise Timekeeping for Navigation | 31–40 | Summary completion, Flow-chart 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 Overview Effect (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: Learning English with English Clubs. VOA Learning English (learningenglish.voanews.com), public domain
- Part 3: What is marine spatial planning? (NOAA Diving Deeper podcast). NOAA National Ocean Service, Diving Deeper podcast (work of the US federal government, public domain)
- Part 4: Telling Time on Other Worlds (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)