Short-answer questions are the simplest thing you will be asked in the Listening test. What time does the tour start? Which two items should students bring?
You hear the fact, you write the fact. Almost every mark lost here is lost between hearing and writing.
The rules, in short
| You write | A short answer using information from the recording |
| Word limit | Stated in the instructions. One word over loses the mark |
| Hyphenated words | Count as one word |
| Lists | Some questions ask for two or three answers |
| Spelling | Must be correct |
| Order | Questions follow the recording |
| What is tested | Listening for facts such as places, prices and times |
Predict before the audio starts
You get time to read the questions before each part. Use it to decide what kind of answer each question wants, so that when the fact arrives you recognise it.
| Question starts with | Listen for |
|---|---|
| What time / when | A time, a day, a date |
| Where | A place, a room, a building |
| How much | A price or an amount |
| How many / how long | A number or a duration |
| Who | A name or a job title |
| What / which | A thing: an object, a subject, an activity |
| Which TWO / What THREE | A list of exactly that many items |
Then underline the words in the question that tell you which fact, out of several the speaker will mention. What time does the afternoon tour start? The speaker may give the morning time, the afternoon time and the finishing time. Only one answers the question.
Method
- Read the instruction and note the word limit. It can change from one set of questions to the next.
- Read every question in the set and mark the question word and the word that makes it specific.
- Note any question that asks for two or three answers.
- Listen for the paraphrase. The question says start; the speaker says sets off. The question says cost; the speaker says that will be.
- Write the words you hear, as briefly as the limit requires.
- Keep moving. If the speaker is clearly on the next topic, leave the missed one and listen for the next.
- Check spelling, plurals and the limit in the checking time.
The list question
A question that asks for two or three items is the one feature that sets this task apart, and it has its own trap.
Which TWO things should visitors bring?
Speakers rarely say two things and stop. They mention several and narrow them down:
“You’ll need walking boots, obviously, and I’d say a waterproof jacket at this time of year. People often ask about lunch, but that’s provided, so there’s no need to bring food.”
Three things are named. One is ruled out. The answer is walking boots and waterproof jacket.
Listen for the phrases that remove an item: there’s no need to, you won’t need, that’s provided, we used to ask for, not any more. And write each item as its own answer, each within the word limit.
Writing the answer
The same rules apply as in every Listening task where you write words.
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Stay inside the limit | NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS: city museum, not the city museum |
| Write what was said | Speaker says deposit → write deposit, not payment |
| Do not repeat the question | How much…? with £ printed → write 25, not £25 pounds |
| Numbers in figures | 9.30, 15, 2019 |
| Plurals matter | ticket and tickets are different answers |
| Spelling counts | A misspelled answer is wrong, however clearly you heard it |
If a name is spelled out, write each letter as you hear it. If you are unsure whether you heard a singular or a plural, check the grammar of the question: How many…? needs a number, Which rooms…? needs a plural.
The correction trap
Speakers change their minds, and the first thing you hear is often not the answer.
“The coach leaves at nine. Oh, sorry, that’s the old timetable. It’s nine thirty now.”
The answer is 9.30. Listen for sorry, actually, I mean, no, wait and in fact. When one comes, whatever you just wrote is replaced by what follows. Multiple choice is built on the same device.
The traps
Several facts of the same kind. Two times, three prices. The word you underlined in the question tells you which.
The ruled-out item in a list question.
The correction.
The extra word. The, a, or a unit that is already printed on the question paper.
The answer in your own words. You understood, and wrote a synonym.
Falling behind. One missed answer becomes three when you stay with it.
What costs marks
- Exceeding the word limit.
- Spelling and plural errors.
- Writing the first fact heard when it is later corrected.
- Giving three items when two are asked for, or two when three are.
- Leaving a blank. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so always write something.
Practise it
Play a short recording of someone giving practical information, such as a tour announcement or a voicemail, and write five facts from it in two words or fewer each. Then check the spelling of every one. The listening is rarely the weak part.
You can practise IELTS Listening with timed tests on IELTS Studio, which mark every answer and show the band straight away.
Related: completion questions use the same writing rules, and the four parts of the Listening test explains how the recordings change.
Sources
- IELTS Listening test format Official description of short-answer questions: the word limit and the lost mark for exceeding it, hyphenated words counting as one, questions that ask for two or three answers, and the focus on facts such as places, prices or times.
Last reviewed October 5, 2026. See our editorial policy for how guides are checked and corrected.
Frequently asked questions
- What are short-answer questions in IELTS Listening?
- You read a question and write a short answer using information from the recording. A word limit is given, such as no more than two words and/or a number. The questions focus on facts, for example places, prices or times.
- How many words can I write in a Listening short answer?
- As many as the instruction allows and no more. If it says no more than two words and/or a number, three words loses the mark. A hyphenated word such as check-in counts as one word.
- What if a Listening question asks for two answers?
- Write two separate items, each within the word limit. They can usually go in either order unless the question says otherwise. If the speaker lists three things and one is then ruled out, the two that remain are the answer.
- Do I have to use the speaker's exact words in a short answer?
- Yes, write the words you hear. The question will paraphrase the recording, but the answer itself is the word the speaker says. A synonym of your own risks being marked wrong.
- Should I write numbers as words or figures in IELTS Listening?
- Figures are safer. Writing 15 avoids any spelling error in fifteen, and a number written in figures is not counted as a word against the limit. Include the unit or currency only if the question does not already print it.
- Which questions are in order in IELTS Listening?
- All of them. You hear the answer to each question before the answer to the next one. If the speaker has moved on to the topic of the following question, the one you were waiting for has gone, so guess and move on.