IELTS General Training · Listening · L4
IELTS General Listening Part 4: Talk on an Academic Topic
IELTS General Training Listening Part 4 is a monologue on an academic subject, similar to a short lecture, heard once. It is the last of the four parts and usually has 10 completion questions, such as notes or a summary, that follow the structure of the talk. General Training and Academic candidates hear the same test.
- Questions
- 10 of the 40 Listening questions
- Speakers
- One speaker, academic subject
- Audio
- Played once only
- Typical tasks
- Note, summary, sentence or flow-chart completion
How it works
- 1Read the notes and headings; they show the order the talk will follow.
- 2The talk plays once, from start to finish.
- 3Fill each blank with words you hear, within the word limit.
- 4When the last part ends, use any remaining review time to check spelling and word limits.
Sample task
Original sample · not from an official test
Note completion. Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer. Audio excerpt (talk on the history of public libraries): "Early lending libraries charged a subscription, so borrowing was mostly limited to wealthier readers. Free public libraries changed that, and by the late nineteenth century many towns funded them through local taxes." Free public libraries were often paid for by local ______.
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Outline: taxes
The speaker says towns 'funded them through local taxes'. The notes paraphrase 'funded' as 'paid for', and the single word after 'local' is taxes. Subscription is the earlier, private model, so it does not fit.
Tips that work
- Use the note headings as signposts; when the speaker says 'moving on to', find the next heading.
- Predict grammar: if the blank follows 'a' or 'an', you need a singular noun.
- Write only the words heard; the answer in completion tasks is taken from the audio, not reworded.
- Check plurals at the end; a missing s makes the answer wrong.
Common mistakes
- Writing a synonym instead of the exact word the speaker used.
- Falling behind by writing long notes instead of the one word needed.
Questions candidates ask
Do I need academic knowledge for Part 4?
No. The topic is academic in style, but every answer is in the talk itself. Candidates who work in trades or services do well here by following the note structure closely, not by knowing the subject.
Why is Part 4 often the hardest part?
It is a single long talk with no second speaker to break it up, and the vocabulary is less everyday. Train by listening to short talks and podcasts while completing notes in real time.
Should I practise Part 4 even if I only need a modest band?
Yes. All 40 Listening questions count equally toward your raw score, and completion questions in Part 4 can be answered by careful spellers even when the topic is unfamiliar.
Other IELTS General Training Listening tasks
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