IELTS Listening Practice Test | 2026-01-26

**Narrator:** Now turn to section one. Listen to the conversation between the woman and the man and answer the questions. First you have some time to look at questions 1 to 7. Now we shall begin. You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 7.
**Man:** Hello, paragliders paradise. How can I help you?
**Maria:** Oh hi. I'm interested in doing a course in paragliding.
**Man:** Which course are you interested in?
**Maria:** Well, I'm not sure what's available.
**Man:** Well, we've got the introductory course, which lasts for 2 days. Or there's the 4-day beginners course, which is what most people do first. I'd tend to recommend that one. And there's also the elementary pilot course, which takes 5 to 6 days, depending on conditions.
**Maria:** We might try the beginner's course. What sort of prices are we looking at?
**Man:** The introductory is $190. The beginner's course, which is probably what you'd be looking at, is $320. No, sorry, $330. It's just gone up. And the pilot course is $430.
**Maria:** Right.
**Man:** And you also have to become a member of our club so that you're insured. That'll cost you $12 a day. Everyone has to take out insurance, you see.
**Maria:** Does that cover me if I break a leg?
**Man:** No, I'm afraid not. It's only third party and covers you against damage to other people or their belongings, but not theft or injury. You would need to take out your own personal accident insurance.
**Maria:** I see. And what's the best way to get to your place? By public transport or could we come by bike? We're pretty keen cyclists.
**Man:** It's difficult by public transport, though. There is a bus from Newcastle. Most people get here by car though cuz we're a little off the beaten track. But you could ride here. Okay. I'll send you a map. Just let me take down a few details. What's your name?
**Maria:** Maria Gentle.
**Man:** And your address? Maria?
**Maria:** Well, I'm a student staying with a family in Newcastle. So, it's care of Mr. and Mrs. McDonald.
**Man:** Like the hamburgers.
**Maria:** Yes, exactly.
**Man:** McDonald's. The post office box address is probably best. It's P. Box 676, Newcastle.
**Maria:** Is there a fax number there? Because I could fax you the information.
**Man:** Yes, actually there is. It's 0249. That's for Newcastle. And then 75431.
**Maria:** Okay. Now, if you decide to do one of our courses, you'll need to book in advance and to pay when you book. How would you be paying?
**Maria:** Uh, by credit card, if that's okay. Do you take Visa?
**Man:** Yes, fine. We take all major cards, including Visa.
**Maria:** Okay, then. Thanks very much.
**Narrator:** The girl is telling her friend about the course. Look at questions 8 to 10. Now listen to their conversation and answer questions 8 to 10.
**Maria:** Hi Pauline.
**Pauline:** Hi Maria. What's that you're reading?
**Maria:** Just some information from a paragliding school. It looks really good fun. Do you fancy a go at paragliding?
**Pauline:** Sure. Do you have to buy lots of equipment and stuff?
**Maria:** Not really. The school provides the equipment, but we'd have to take a few things along, such as well, it says here, clothes. Uh, wear stout boots, so no sneakers or sandals, I suppose, and clothes suitable for an active day in the hills. Preferably a long sleeve t-shirt. That's probably in case you land in the stinging nettles. It also says we should bring a packed lunch. We do not recommend soft drinks or flasks of coffee. What is really the best thing to drink? Uh, we need to bring suntan lotion and something to protect your head from the sun.
**Pauline:** Okay, that sounds reasonable. And where would we stay?
**Maria:** Well, look, they seem to operate a campsite, too, because it says here that it's only $10 a day to pitch a tent. That would be fine, wouldn't it? And that way we'd save quite a bit because even a cheap hotel would cost money. Uh or perhaps we could stay in a bed and breakfast nearby. It gives a couple of names here we could ring. I think I might prefer that. Hotels and youth host would all be miles away from the farm. And I don't fancy a caravan.
**Pauline:** No, I agree. But let's take a tent and pray for good weather. Okay, let's do it. What about next weekend?
**Maria:** No, I can't. I'm going on a geography field trip.
**Pauline:** And then it's the weekend before the exams and I really do need to study.
**Maria:** Okay, then let's make it the one after the exams.
**Pauline:** Fine. We'll need a break by then. Can you ring and let me know if you can find out some?
**Narrator:** That is the end of part one. You now have half a minute to check your answers to part two.

**Narrator:** Part two. You will hear someone talking about traveling around New Zealand. First, you have some time to look at questions 11 to 15. Now listen and answer questions 11 to 15.
When thinking about beautiful countryside or stunning views, it has long been accepted that Australia and New Zealand have few equals. What is perhaps slightly less well-known is what these countries can offer to the avid train enthusiast. Both countries have railways which pass through breathtaking scenery in the utmost of comfort. In New Zealand, you can travel from the country's biggest city, Auckland, to where a third of the population lives, its capital, Wellington, on the longest passenger rail service in the country, the Overlander. Crossing 681 kilometers, the train winds through the lush farmland of the Waikato and up the Raurimu spiral onto an amazing volcanic plateau surrounded by native bush. On a clear day, you will be able to see three of New Zealand's most famous volcanoes: Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Tongariro. The whole journey can be completed in 11 hours. But for those keen to see a little more of the country, the trip can be extended over 3 or 4 days. This gives travelers the opportunity of seeing the famous Waitomo caves, relaxing in the mudpools of Rotorua, or skydiving over Lake Taupo.
Moving on to the South Island, you can take the Trans Alpine through the Southern Alps. Traveling from the South Pacific Ocean to the Tasman Sea, climbing from Christchurch right into the Alps. This 223 km trip is particularly impressive as the train passes through 16 tunnels before descending to Greymouth at the end of the line. Taking only 5 hours, this is a relatively short trip, but it is worth noting that this journey has been listed as the sixth most scenic rail route in the world.
For those that are not so keen on mountains, the South Island has a second option, the Trans Coastal. With the sea on one side and the mountains on the other, it again shows some of the best scenery New Zealand has to offer. Also taking 5 hours, one of the highlights of this journey is the opportunities for whale watching. The fortunate few that see whales are well rewarded, but there are more common sites which are just as enjoyable, such as penguins and seals.
**Narrator:** Before you hear the rest of the recording, you have some time to look at questions 16 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 16 to 20.
Although these three train journeys are undeniably breathtaking, some travelers prefer the longer journeys on offer in Australia. The Indian Pacific, for example, which travels from Sydney through to Perth and has been dubbed the adventure that spans Australia. With three nights on board, the train takes in the Blue Mountains and the Nullarbor Plains. And as the name implies, the Indian Pacific shows you two oceans. This train journey holds two world records covering 4,352 km. It is one of the world's longest train journeys. It also travels the world's longest straight stretch of railway track, 478 km. For those who find these distances a little daunting, passengers can stretch their legs at a number of different stops, such as Kalgoorlie, famous for gold, and Broken Hill, first founded as a silver mine.
If 3 days on board a train seems a little excessive, there are alternatives. The Ghan, for example, which travels from Adelaide in the south to Alice Springs in the center of the continent, taking 20 hours. Passing through Crystal Brook, Port Augusta, and Orroroo. This journey gives an indication of what life was like for the earlier settlers as they discovered the country. Along the way, you can also see the Iron Man sculpture, which was constructed by railway workers to commemorate the 1 millionth concrete sleeper laid during the construction of the line.
Finally, just a quick word about the Overland, which runs between Melbourne and Adelaide. As the first train to travel between the capitals of two states, it is a historic as well as relaxing way to travel and is famous for being the oldest long-distance train journey on the continent. With so many memorable journeys to choose from, the only problem you will have is knowing which one to do first.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part two. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

**Narrator:** Now turn to part three. Part three. You will hear two students called Jane and Mark talking to their tutor about the project assignments for their senior thesis. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 23. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 23.
**Tutor:** So you were both given your project assignments for your senior thesis today, right?
**Jane:** Yes. And we already have to submit our topics next week.
**Mark:** But how could they give us a grade this soon?
**Tutor:** No, next week's due date will not be counted towards your final grade. The teachers are just going to read your topic and give you feedback.
**Jane:** Oh, I see. So, first we should come up with our topics and then what?
**Tutor:** Well, once you know what you want to study, you need to think about how you'll study it. You need to decide on your research methods. The methods will be the main part of your paper.
**Mark:** What about the results section?
**Tutor:** Well, I can give you feedback on that, but you will be the one carrying out an experiment and thus will have to produce the results on your own. What I would like to do today is practice writing research papers before you even begin your report. I'll give you samples of old data from past experience, and you can practice writing results and drawing conclusions.
**Jane:** I think that would be really helpful.
**Mark:** Yeah, it sounds like a lot of extra work, but I'm sure it would make our actual project easier.
**Tutor:** You're exactly right. So, let's get started. First, let's try this simple experiment on fruit flies. Read the information and then take 25 minutes to summarize a results and conclusion section. That's really important. Pay attention to the time limit.
**Jane:** Okay. Does it still have to be 6,000 words?
**Tutor:** No, don't worry about that.
**Mark:** What if we get off topic?
**Tutor:** I wouldn't worry too much. You'll have so much information to write about that it should be easy to stay on topic.
**Narrator:** Before you hear the rest of the talk, you have some time to look at questions 24 to 30. Now listen carefully and answer questions 24 to 30.
**Jane:** But what about other sources?
**Tutor:** Well, for this assignment, you can use the one from your textbook. In your actual paper, you should find old experiments that support your topic.
**Mark:** So, do we need to find different types of sources? For instance, should I be conducting lots of interviews to use in my paper?
**Tutor:** No, there's no need to conduct lots of interviews or anything like that.
**Mark:** Okay, I'm ready to get started. I'm still a little confused though on how we should format our paper.
**Tutor:** Don't worry about it for now, but on your final paper, make sure to pay attention to the format. It should follow the guidelines exactly.
**Mark:** Oh man, I'm starting to understand why they give us all semester to do this. Are there any other small details like that that we should know about?
**Tutor:** Not a whole lot. Make sure you provide two copies. One for your teacher, of course, but one for yourself as well. And of course, you know the due date, right?
**Jane:** Uh, it's April the 11th, right?
**Mark:** What? No, it's May 11th, right?
**Tutor:** Yes, the due date is May 11. Write it down.
**Jane:** Oh, wow. Yeah, I need to note it. Also, I'm having trouble finding information on my topic. What if I can't find enough good sources?
**Tutor:** It's all right to change your topic. Just make sure to do it before the beginning of April.
**Jane:** Oh, really? Well, I'm definitely going to change it then.
**Tutor:** Just make sure to write a note to your teacher letting him or her know. Okay, so getting back to writing this sample paper, where do we start? Should I just explain the experiment and what happened?
**Tutor:** Well, you need to start with your hypothesis. What do you think will happen? And then describe your procedure. Then you can write up the results and your conclusions.
**Mark:** Oh boy, I don't know if I can handle any more instructions.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part three. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

**Narrator:** Now turn to part four. Part four. You will hear a tutor giving some business students instructions about a finance project. You now have 30 seconds to read questions 31 to 36. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 36.
**Tutor:** Okay. Can you quieten down please? Now today I'm going to talk to you about your assignment. We've been studying the effects of the exchange rate. So, I'm going to give you a project to do on this. Right. Can you make some notes while I'm talking?
The first thing that I'd like you to do in order to prepare this is to select where you're interested in. I mean, which country and therefore which currency you're going to be operating in. Okay. Now, the purpose of the project is to make money. And I'm hoping some of you will make a significant amount. So, I want you to suppose that you have 100 that you will have to invest purely in the rises and falls of the exchange system. In other words, you'll be trying to predict rates.
This is a project that you'll be doing together. But before you work together, you'll have to go off and research what you need to know about the economy of that country and how well it's doing or is expected to do in the near future. You could all make up a little information sheet with your notes on clearly legible because then I want you to get together. We can do that next week. And to go around and read about each other's countries.
When you see how well or badly each country is doing, I want you to decide what your exchange rate is going to be against all the other currencies. After that is all sorted, what you're going to do is go around the other students and attempt to sell your money to the others. Remember, this will depend on the success of your country's economy and the rate you fixed for your currency. Now, you're not allowed to just swap currencies with each other, but you may wish to buy from the other countries, but you must do a proper transaction. All the way through this, you must keep your accounts properly for each transaction. I'll give you one week to do this and then we will set a time for the deals to finish. A bit like the stock exchange and at that point I will ask you to calculate how much you have made. Is that clear?
**Narrator:** You now have 30 seconds to read questions 37 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 37 to 40.
**Tutor:** Okay. Now, before you begin that, there are a few things I want you to read up on to prepare. You need to look at the economies of the UK's main trading partners. I don't mean all of them because that would be over 80, but just the 29 principal ones. There are summaries in the last three books on the book list I've given you. And so that you can practice applying the criteria on assessment I gave you, I'd then like you to focus just on one sector across all the countries. The most common one across every country is farming. But as much agricultural produce is for domestic consumption, I'd like you to look at manufacturing.
Then I would like you to do a detailed investigation of one particular aspect. I was going to give you a choice but I think as we've just started the course it's better if we all look at the same thing and then we can discuss it in the seminars. So the thing I'd like you all to look at is fluctuations in import prices. Now, you need to do all that before you start the project as it will help you assess the economies of the countries you'll be representing in the project.
Don't worry, you've got plenty of time. Exam week is December the 8th. Then it's the holidays until January the 6th. So, I don't need the project in till February the 5th. Is it okay? Now any questions on this because it...
**Narrator:** That is the end of part four. You now have half a minute to check your answers.