Free

IELTS Listening Practice Test 1 (free, with answer key)

Last updated September 16, 2026

Short answer: Listening Test 1 is a full IELTS-format Listening test: four recorded sections (coach booking, country park, renewable energy, chocolate), 40 questions, about 30 minutes on the exam clock, each recording played once as in the real exam, and your raw score, estimated band and per-section breakdown the moment you submit. Free, no sign-up. Take the test first, then check the answer key below; reading it before the test makes the band meaningless.

Start Listening Test 1
4
recorded sections, from a two-person conversation to a lecture
40
questions, scored automatically and converted to an estimated band
0
sign-up, email or card to take the test and see your band

This page describes what is in Listening Test 1 and gives the answer key for its 40 questions. The test itself runs on the ParrotTalk Listening page: the button above opens it with Test 1 already selected. The recordings are produced by ParrotTalk, with distinct voices for each section, and follow the shape of the IELTS Listening test, from a booking conversation to a lecture. This is not an official IELTS test.

What is in this test

SectionTopicQuestionsQuestion types
Section 1 Greenline Coach Travel: Ticket Booking 1 to 10 Form completion (Q1 to 10)
Section 2 Oakmoor Country Park: Visitor Orientation 11 to 20 Map labelling (Q11 to 15), multiple choice (Q16 to 20)
Section 3 Tutorial: Renewable Energy Presentation 21 to 30 Multiple choice (Q21 to 25), matching (Q26 to 28), note completion (Q29 to 30)
Section 4 Lecture: A Short History of Chocolate 31 to 40 Note completion (Q31 to 40)

Allow about 30 minutes: the test clock runs for 30 minutes plus 2 minutes to check your answers before submitting, as in the computer-delivered exam. In exam mode the audio of each section plays once, without pause, the questions appear as the recording reaches them, and Section 2 unlocks only after Section 1 has been played. Your progress is saved in your browser, so a reload does not lose your answers.

Answer key

Take the test first. The answer key is here so that you can check your work afterwards; if you read it before you start, the band you get at the end tells you nothing about your level.

The answers below are the ones accepted by the automatic scoring, including the accepted variants where the recording allows more than one wording. ParrotTalk does not publish the transcripts of the recordings: the practice is in the listening, and the questions themselves are on the test page once the audio starts.

Show the answers for Section 1: Greenline Coach Travel: Ticket Booking

Form completion, questions 1 to 10

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

  1. Surname: DONNELLY
  2. Destination: EDINBURGH
  3. Travel date: 12 SEPTEMBER (also accepted: twelfth of september, 12 sept, sept 12, 12/9)
  4. Number of passengers: 3 (also accepted: three)
  5. Seat preference: WINDOW (also accepted: window seat, a window seat)
  6. Departure time: 11 AM (also accepted: eleven, eleven am, 11am, 11:00)
  7. Discounted fare (£): 34 (also accepted: £34, thirty-four, 34 pounds)
  8. Discount card: STUDENT (also accepted: student card)
  9. Payment method: DEBIT CARD (also accepted: debit, by debit card)
  10. Booking reference: GL7208 (also accepted: gl 7208)
Show the answers for Section 2: Oakmoor Country Park: Visitor Orientation

Map labelling, questions 11 to 15

Label the map below. Write the correct letter, A-H, next to each place.

  1. Visitor Centre: C
  2. Bird hide: F
  3. Picnic area: A
  4. Boat hire: H
  5. Adventure playground: D

Multiple choice, questions 16 to 20

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

  1. When is the park at its busiest? B, On Sundays
  2. What are visitors asked to do with their dogs? B, Keep them on a lead
  3. The main café is currently: B, open at weekends only
  4. To join a guided walk, visitors must: B, book at the information desk
  5. The main safety warning concerns: B, deep water
Show the answers for Section 3: Tutorial: Renewable Energy Presentation

Multiple choice, questions 21 to 25

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.

  1. Which type of energy did the students finally choose? B, wind energy
  2. What was their main source of evidence? B, a survey they ran
  3. What surprised them most? B, the level of public support
  4. What is the main weakness of their draft? B, it has no visuals
  5. How long must the presentation be? B, fifteen minutes

Matching, questions 26 to 28

Who will do each task? Write A (Ben), B (Priya) or C (Dr Reyes).

  1. Designing the slides: A (Ben)
  2. Writing the script: B (Priya)
  3. Checking the references: C (Dr Reyes)

Note completion, questions 29 to 30

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

  1. Slides must be submitted by: FRIDAY (also accepted: on friday)
  2. Presentation room: ROOM 12 (also accepted: room twelve, 12)
Show the answers for Section 4: Lecture: A Short History of Chocolate

Note completion, questions 31 to 40

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

  1. Aztecs used cacao beans as a form of: MONEY (also accepted: currency)
  2. Original drink flavoured with: CHILLI (also accepted: chili, chillies, chilli and spices)
  3. Chocolate first reached Europe via: SPAIN
  4. In Europe, added to sweeten it: SUGAR
  5. At first only affordable to the: WEALTHY (also accepted: rich, the wealthy)
  6. In 1828 a Dutch chemist invented a: PRESS (also accepted: a press, cocoa press)
  7. First solid eating bar made in (year): 1847
  8. Milk chocolate created by adding: MILK
  9. Today's largest cacao producer: IVORY COAST (also accepted: the ivory coast, cote divoire)
  10. Main current concern for the industry: SUSTAINABILITY (also accepted: sustainable)

Quick answers

Is this Listening test free?

Yes. Listening Test 1 is completely free, with no sign-up, no email and no card, and you can run it as many times as you like. The four sections, the 40 questions, the automatic scoring and the band are all included.

Is the audio played once, like in the real exam?

Yes, by default. In exam mode each section plays once, with no pause and no rewind, the questions appear progressively as the recording reaches them, and the next section unlocks once the previous one has been played. A practice mode, chosen before you start, allows pausing and replaying; the page then warns that the score is not comparable to exam conditions.

How is the Listening band calculated?

From your raw score out of 40, converted to a band with the official-style table, which is the same for Academic and General Training. The raw score, the band and a per-section breakdown appear the moment you submit. The full conversion table is on the band score calculator.

Is this an official IELTS test?

No. It is practice material in the format of the IELTS Listening test, with recordings produced by ParrotTalk, and the band is an estimate to track your progress, not an official result. ParrotTalk is independent and not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP, or Cambridge English.

Start Listening Test 1 Listening Practice Test 2 All Listening practice tests

ParrotTalk is free, with no sign-up. Bands are estimates, not official IELTS results. See the band score calculator for the full raw score to band table, and read how to practise IELTS Listening online for free for the mistakes that cost the most marks.