Dhiraj Kandel
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IELTS Listening looks scary only until you understand how it works. In Nepal, the Listening test follows the same international format, and the marking is very clear: 40 questions, 40 marks, and no negative marking.
In this blog, we’ll quickly cover the test format, timing, and how your Listening band score is calculated, in a way that’s easy for Nepali students.
Listening Paper: Sections & What You Hear
| Section | What you usually hear | Difficulty level | Common question styles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1 | Daily conversation (booking, inquiry, form fill) | Easy | Form completion, short answers |
| Section 2 | One person speaking (instructions, tour, campus info) | Easy–Medium | MCQ, map/plan labeling, notes |
| Section 3 | Academic conversation (often 2–4 speakers) | Medium–Hard | MCQ, matching, table/flowchart |
| Section 4 | Academic lecture (one speaker) | Hard | Sentence completion, notes, summary |
Total questions: 40
Total time:
Paper-based: 30 minutes listening + 10 minutes transfer time
Computer-based: around 30 minutes + about 2 minutes to check answers (no 10-minute transfer time)
Good news: Listening is the same for Academic and General Training (only Reading & Writing change).
IELTS Listening Question Types
You don’t need “advanced English” for Listening, you only need smart accuracy.
| Question Type | What it tests | Tip for Nepali students |
|---|---|---|
| Form/Note/Table completion | Numbers, spelling, key details | Practice spelling (emails, names, dates) |
| Multiple choice (MCQ) | Meaning + distractors | Don’t choose too fast, wait for confirmation |
| Matching | Linking speakers/opinions/places | Underline keywords before audio starts |
| Map/Plan labeling | Direction words | Learn common direction vocabulary |
| Sentence/Summary completion | Exact word listening | Follow word limit (ONE WORD/TWO WORDS) |
IELTS Listening Marking (How it’s checked)
40 questions = 40 marks
1 correct answer = 1 mark
No negative marking
Where students lose marks most:
| Common mistake | Why it happens | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling error (name/place) | Fast writing + unfamiliar words | Practice spelling + write clearly |
| Singular/plural mistake | “student” vs “students” | Listen for s / -es sounds |
| Breaking word limit | Writing 3 words when limit is 2 | Follow instruction exactly |
| Wrong format | Extra symbols/words | Keep it clean (only what’s needed) |
IELTS Listening Band Score (How it’s calculated)
Raw Score = number of correct answers out of 40
Then IELTS converts your raw score into a band score (whole/half bands).
Typical Listening band conversion (guideline):
(This can vary slightly by test version, so use it as a safe reference.)
| Raw score (out of 40) | Typical band |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9 |
| 35–36 | 8 |
| 30–32 | 7 |
| 23–25 | 6 |
| 18–22 | 5.5 |
Key takeaway for Nepali students: Even a jump of 3–5 correct answers can move your band up.
Why this matters for USA, UK, Australia & Canada
When you apply from Nepal, most universities (and in some cases visa pathways too) don’t just check your overall IELTS band, they may also look at your individual module scores. So even if your overall score is okay, a low Listening band can still create issues for certain courses or intakes.
The good part? Listening is one of the most score-friendly modules because:
Marking is fixed and simple (1 question = 1 mark, no negative marking)
Fixing small things like spelling, word limits, and plurals can quickly boost your score
Improving Listening helps lift your overall band, making your target feel more achievable.
