# IELTS Listening Form Completion: Tips and Example | topin IELTS guidesForm, note and table completion Where IELTS Listening, very often in Part 1 and also in later parts Answers Words and numbers taken from the recording Word limits Stated each time, for example ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER or NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER Order Gaps follow the order of the recording Marks One mark per gap; misspelt or over-limit answers score nothing ## How it works You read the form, notes or table before the audio and predict what each gap needs. Then you listen once and write the answer as you hear it. Names are often spelt out letter by letter, and numbers, dates and prices come up often, so you need to catch them precisely. ## Worked example Complete the form. Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Surname: (1) \_\_\_\_\_\_ Date of event: (2) \_\_\_\_\_\_ May Number of guests: about (3) \_\_\_\_\_\_ You hear: Woman: Can I take your surname, please? Man: Yes, it's Harlow. That's H-A-R-L-O-W. Woman: Thanks. And the party is on the fourteenth of May? Man: It was going to be, but we've moved it to the twenty-first. Woman: No problem. And how many people are you expecting? Man: About forty, I'd say. Show the answer 1 Harlow, 2 21 (or 21st), 3 40 (or forty) 1 is spelt out letter by letter, so write it exactly: Harlow. 2 is the corrected date; the fourteenth is a distractor that the speaker changes. 3 is forty, which is best written in figures. ## A method for Form, note and table completion 1. 1 ### Predict each gap in the reading time Before the audio, decide what each gap needs: a surname, a number, a date, a street name, a plural noun. Write a small note such as 'no.' or 'name' next to it. 2. 2 ### Note the word limit Check whether you may write one word, two words, and whether a number is allowed. Answers over the limit score nothing. 3. 3 ### Follow the labels, listen for the values The labels on the form (Surname, Date, Cost) are often said aloud or paraphrased just before the answer. Use them to keep your place. 4. 4 ### Wait for the final version When a speaker says 'actually', 'sorry' or 'we've changed it', the answer is about to change. Write the last value the speakers agree on. 5. 5 ### Check spelling and plurals at the end Use the check or transfer time to confirm spelling, capital letters for names, and plural endings. ## Traps to avoid * Writing the first date, time or price mentioned when the speaker corrects it a moment later. * Mishearing letters in spelt names, especially letters that sound alike such as B and P, M and N, or A, E and I. * Adding words already printed on the form, such as writing 'about 40' after the word 'about'. * Going over the word limit by writing a whole phrase instead of the key word. ## Form, note and table completion FAQs What does ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER mean in IELTS Listening? You can write one word, one number, or one word and one number together, such as '21 May' when the gap allows it. Two words are not allowed. Should I write numbers in words or figures in IELTS Listening? Both are accepted, but figures are faster to write and avoid spelling mistakes. Do names need a capital letter in IELTS Listening? Answers are not marked down for capitals or lower case, but spelling must be exact. Writing names with a capital letter is still good practice. Is Part 1 of IELTS Listening always a form? Not always, but Part 1 is a conversation about an everyday situation and very often uses form, note or table completion. ## Try Form, note and table completion under real timing Your first full-length IELTS mock is free, with every section included. [Take the free mock ](/ielts/login)