IELTS Listening Practice Test | 2026-01-28

**Narrator:** Now turn to section one. You are going to listen to a conversation between two people, a customer and a representative of a company which rents cars. First, you have some time to look at questions 1 to 6. Now the test will begin. Remember, you will hear the recording only once. So answer the questions as you listen. Now listen to the first part of the conversation and answer questions 1 to 6.
**Automated voice:** Thank you for calling Carline. So that we can best help you, can you please press the star button on your phone now. Thank you. Now, choose one of the following four options by pressing the buttons on your telephone. Press one if you would like to make a car reservation. Press two if you would like to talk to someone about a car reservation. Press three if you would... Please hold while we put you through to one of our assistants.
**Melanie:** Good morning. Melanie speaking. How can I help you?
**Mr. Maxine:** My name is Mr. Maxine and I booked a car several days ago to be picked up from Heathrow Airport in London and I'd like to change the booking.
**Melanie:** I see. Have you got a reference?
**Mr. Maxine:** Yes, I have it here somewhere on a piece of paper. Uh ah here it is. It's A for Alpha, C for Charlie, F for fox trot, Y for... yeah... Yes. The number 15, uh 15, A for alpha, and G for go.
**Melanie:** Let's see. Can I just check that? A C F Y 15 A G. Yes, Mr. John Maxine.
**Mr. Maxine:** Yes, that's it.
**Melanie:** Okay. So, how can I help you?
**Mr. Maxine:** I booked a car for 3 days from this Friday at 6:00 p.m. to Monday at 6:00 p.m.
**Melanie:** Yes, a manual.
**Mr. Maxine:** I'd like to change it for a larger car and an automatic rather than a manual. And... I'd also like to book it for five rather than 3 days.
**Melanie:** Okay, let's have a look. M we have an estate which is automatic.
**Mr. Maxine:** Yes, that would be perfect.
**Melanie:** There is a difference in price though for the extra two days.
**Mr. Maxine:** Yes, but also for the size of the car. The estate is £15 more expensive per day than the saloon car you have already booked.
**Melanie:** Okay. And how much extra is it altogether then?
**Mr. Maxine:** Um that makes it an extra £165. H. It seems rather expensive. Uh, the last time I hired one, it wasn't so much.
**Melanie:** When was that?
**Mr. Maxine:** Um, several weeks ago.
**Melanie:** I see.
**Narrator:** Before the speakers continue their conversation, look at questions 7 to 10. As you listen to the rest of the dialogue, complete the numbered spaces 7 to 10.
**Melanie:** Well, it's basically because the rates change daily according to the cars available. The estate is the last automatic we have for hire for that period. We have a manual estate which is cheaper if that would help.
**Mr. Maxine:** No, it has to be an automatic.
**Melanie:** Okay. Shall I debit your card for the extra £165?
**Mr. Maxine:** Is it possible for me to pay the extra in cash when I pick up the car at the airport?
**Melanie:** I'm afraid that isn't possible as there are no facilities for handling cash at that time of the day.
**Mr. Maxine:** That seems odd.
**Melanie:** It's because the money can't be banked in the evening and for security reasons, no cash is held on the premises.
**Mr. Maxine:** Okay, you can debit my card.
**Melanie:** You'll have to give the number to me again.
**Mr. Maxine:** Is it logged on the screen?
**Melanie:** For security reasons, it doesn't come up on the screen when we look at the booking. Any changes and it has to be entered again. I see it's 34591...
**Mr. Maxine:** 34591425425750
**Melanie:** ...750. Okay, that has now been authorized. Shall we send the receipt to your Park Veil address?
**Mr. Maxine:** Yes. Uh, number 40.
**Melanie:** Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Maxine?
**Mr. Maxine:** No, nothing else. Thank you.
**Melanie:** Have a nice trip.
**Mr. Maxine:** Thank you. Goodbye.
**Narrator:** That's the end of section one. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now it turns to part two.
---

**Narrator:** Part two. You will hear a talk about young people living on their own. Listen carefully and answer questions 11 to 12.
**Speaker:** Loneliness is something we all suffer from in varying degrees. But young people living on their own can be particularly vulnerable. Many who leave the family home find they are less confident and have more difficulty in finding their feet than they expected. Often going to work or study in another town or city will be the first time they have lived away from home. Although this may sound like an adventure for those dying to get away from the glare of the parental eye, for others it is a daunting prospect which generates apprehension, uncertainty, and even fear. In fact, in a recent survey of over 1,600 people who had recently left home, 32% said that understanding and coping with loneliness was a crucial issue for them and made them feel highly stressed and distracted. An annual report by researchers last year recorded a noticeable increase in the number of individuals with homesickness, transition, and isolation issues. Acknowledging that feelings of loneliness and isolation could impede progress at work or study. They examined the number of people using the welfare and health services. They found that young people in particular were prone to difficulties. Last year, 61% of all people using counseling services were aged under 30. And of this group, 57% were men.
**Narrator:** Now, you have some time to look at questions 13 to 20. Now listen and answer questions 13 to 20.
**Speaker:** Leaving home involves a major change in lifestyle, work patterns, and degree of independence. You will be away from home, family and friends and are no longer supported by familiar surroundings. For this reason, in the first year, a lot of young people suffer from loneliness. Ironically, this sense of isolation comes at a time when you are likely to be surrounded by people most of the time. Living in a busy city, traveling on crowded buses and trains, you will be constantly among people. But this can sometimes compound your sense of being alone. Seeing others who appear at ease among large crowds, mingling and making friends can make you feel excluded and inadequate. Adapting to a new environment makes people uncertain of what to do or how to behave and breeds insecurities which can make for a real sense of isolation. It is often those who are more used to being on their own who deal best with the transitional period of leaving home. Other reasons for feeling alone include high expectations of the big city where you have the best time of your life and meet lifelong friends. It may be the first time you have had to make new friends since you started primary school. And perhaps you are reluctant or finding it hard to replace old friends whom you miss. There are also pressures to juggle work and socializing which may leave you feeling left out. Or it could be that you have a long-distance relationship and feel torn between your new lifestyle and that special person who lives so far away. Because loneliness can leave you with a sense of low self-esteem where you become self-conscious and feel you have been rejected. It is very difficult to overcome. You may be reluctant to even try and make new friends or take part in social activities and will also find it difficult to say no to things leaving you feeling exploited and weak. One of the ways of combating loneliness is to remember that it's not your fault and that it's something everyone has to deal with despite appearances. Counselors advise those feeling lonely to speak to someone they know about their feelings. They also asked them to consider joining groups and societies and to get involved in activities which interest them as a way of meeting more people. Of course, overdoing it and jamming your schedule with too many things just to avoid being alone will not work, but meeting others with common interests may be a step forward. If you still feel like you need someone to talk to, you could try group counseling where you will be able to talk to and receive support from a small number of people with the same difficulties as you. For more information or to be put in touch with an individual counselor, contact the local town hall support services.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part two. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to section three.
---

**Narrator:** Section three. You will hear a female and a male student talking about the mock exams that they have just taken. First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 25. Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 25.
**Male student:** So what did you think of the practice exams last week?
**Female student:** You mean the mock exams?
**Male student:** Yeah, I thought some of them were tough.
**Female student:** They were certainly hard and generally they were very long.
**Male student:** Yeah, they were spread over a whole week which made it impossible to relax.
**Female student:** Exactly. But what did you think of each test?
**Male student:** Of the seven exams we did, the least enjoyable for me were the two 3-hour essay papers.
**Female student:** Why didn't you like the essay papers?
**Male student:** I'm not particularly good at writing things down like that in a short space of time. And I don't think it's a good way of testing our theoretical knowledge of medicine.
**Female student:** I'm the opposite. I'm afraid I'm much better in the written essay exams than the other types of tests. But what about the two multiple-choice exam papers in basic science and anatomy?
**Male student:** They weren't too bad. If you didn't know the answer, all you had to do was guess.
**Female student:** That's okay, but I never feel comfortable with guessing. And you know that there is research that shows that women are disadvantaged when doing multiple choice questions compared to men.
**Male student:** You've mentioned this before. But I'm not sure I believe it.
**Female student:** It's true. Multiple-choice questions benefit men more than women. They are a male construct.
**Male student:** If you say so.
**Female student:** It's not if I say so. Anyway, you have to be careful with multiple choice questions because of the negative marking. That can really bring the score down if you keep guessing and get all of the guesses wrong. It's double negative.
**Male student:** Yeah, that is a danger. What about the role play? Did you like that?
**Female student:** Yeah, with the actors and actresses as simulated patients. Yeah, I thought that was by far the best part of the exam.
**Male student:** Why was that?
**Female student:** Well, what I liked about it was during the 24 test stations, we had a chance to show what we know about communicating with patients and show our practical medical knowledge, etc.
**Male student:** Yes, I think I agree with you there. I enjoyed all of the stations, but I can tell you I was tired at the end. I have done a practice exam with 12 test stations, but not 24. It was exhausting, but also exhilarating.
**Female student:** I agree completely. It lasted nearly 4 hours in total with the break.
**Narrator:** Before you hear the rest of the conversation, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30. Now listen carefully and answer questions 26 to 30.
**Male student:** What did you think of the other two exams?
**Female student:** The two problem-solving tests. H I didn't think I was going to handle them very well, but in the end I think they went better than I thought they would. What I liked most was the test where we had to work in groups of four and to solve a problem we had to prioritize actions.
**Male student:** That was very interesting. I'm not sure I did very well in that though. Did you feel comfortable being in a group of four and having four examiners watching you as you discuss the problem?
**Female student:** We did practice it several times before. You learn to forget that someone is watching you. But some people are better at speaking in group situations like that and they get the best marks.
**Male student:** The test doesn't just assess whether people can talk a lot. It's about showing you can listen, organize your thoughts, and then show you can be part of a team, allowing other people to speak.
**Female student:** Well, we'll have to see how it goes. When do the results of the mocks come out?
**Male student:** They said next week, and then it's the finals two weeks later.
**Female student:** Yeah, we've got that to look forward to. What is the policy on resets?
**Male student:** Why are you planning to fail?
**Female student:** No, but well, you know what I mean.
**Male student:** The resets are held in September, and if there is any problem after that, it goes to appeal.
**Female student:** We'll just have to make sure we don't fail any part of the whole examination. I certainly wouldn't want to do any of it again.
**Male student:** Me neither. It's hard when you are not allowed to fail any of the exams. I bet they don't have that policy in any other subject.
**Female student:** Probably not.
**Narrator:** That is the end of section three. You now have half a minute to check your answers. Now turn to part four.
---

**Narrator:** Part four. Listen to the following lecture about lightning. First you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40. Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
**Lecturer:** In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient people believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of God. In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the Earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 km long has enough electricity to light 1 million light bulbs. The American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year, he also built the first lightning rod. This device protects buildings from damage by lightning. Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning contains more than 15 million volts. A spark between a cloud and the Earth may be as long as 13 km and travels at a speed of 30 million m/s. Scientists estimate that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone, it kills an average of one person every day. The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not under trees. Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid opening doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things. With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry.
**Narrator:** That is the end of part four. You now have half a minute to check your answers.