How the IELTS Listening is Marked

All the answers have one mark.

Any answer which is above the word limit specified for that task will not receive a mark, so it is important to read the instructions carefully.

Spelling and grammar must be correct and consistent.

Both British and American spelling are acceptable, e.g. programme/program, colour/color, but you should NOT use abbreviations.

Numbers can be written as words or figures.

The final score is converted into a Band Score of between 1 and 9. You can get half bands in the listening test, e.g. 7.5.

What can you do to improve your Listening scores?

Use the time you have before the speaker begins, to look at the questions and try to predict what sorts of answers are required. (e.g. Do you need a number, date or a name?)
There is no negative marking so you should not leave blanks. Never leave blanks. Answer all the questions. If in doubt, Guess!
Try to anticipate what the speaker will say next. This will help you to focus on the answers.
Underline key words in the questions to help you when listening.
Don’t worry if you miss a question while the passage is going on. Answer the next and go back to the one you missed later.
Check your spelling and grammar carefully.
Be careful to transfer your answers accurately, in the time given at the end of the test to do this.

You can use tips and information on this website to help make it easier to obtain a higher score, but remember you still need to work at learning the language to be successful.

Please share to someone you know and in the meantime take a look at my Facebook Page and Website for IELTS answers and you can also join my Facebook Group here too.

Good Luck

Jonathan