# IELTS Listening Multiple Choice: How to Avoid Traps | topin

IELTS guidesListening multiple choice

Where

IELTS Listening, in any part and especially Parts 2, 3 and 4

Formats

Choose the correct letter, A, B or C; or choose TWO (or more) letters from a longer list

Order

Questions follow the order of the recording

Marks

One mark per question; in 'Choose TWO letters' sets each correct letter scores one mark

Playback

The recording is heard once

## How it works

You read the stem and options in the preparation time, then choose as you listen. Distractors are built in: an option may be mentioned and then rejected, or said about a different person or time. For two-letter questions, the letters can be written in either order.

## Worked example

What topic has the student chosen for her presentation? You hear: Student: I was going to talk about solar panels, but half the class has picked that. Tutor: What about wind power, then? Student: I did think about it, but I couldn't find enough local data. So I've gone for tidal energy, because there's a new project just down the coast.

1. AA solar panels
2. BB wind power
3. CC tidal energy
Show the answer

C

All three options are mentioned. The student drops solar panels because too many classmates chose it, and rejects wind power because of a lack of data. 'I've gone for tidal energy' confirms C.

## A method for Listening multiple choice

1. 1  
### Underline the differences between options  
In the reading time, mark what makes each option different. Often only one or two words separate them, and those are the words to listen for.
2. 2  
### Turn the stem into a question to listen for  
Rephrase the stem in your own words, for example 'what did she finally choose?' This keeps you focused on the decision, not every detail.
3. 3  
### Mark options as they are ruled out  
Put a light cross next to an option when the speaker rejects it. By the end, the remaining option is often clear.
4. 4  
### Wait for confirmation  
Do not circle the first option you hear. Listen for decision language such as 'so I've gone for', 'in the end' or 'the main reason is'.

## Traps to avoid

* Choosing the first option mentioned, which is often later rejected.
* Choosing an option that is true but belongs to the other speaker or a different time.
* Matching an exact word from the audio instead of the meaning, since the correct option is usually paraphrased.
* Spending too long on one question and missing the next.

## Listening multiple choice FAQs

Do I get a mark for each letter in 'Choose TWO letters' questions?

Yes. These count as two questions, and each correct letter scores one mark. The letters can be written in either order.

Why are IELTS Listening multiple choice questions so hard?

Because speakers mention most or all of the options and reject some of them. Focusing on the differences between options and waiting for the confirmed answer makes them much more manageable.

Do Listening multiple choice questions follow the recording order?

Yes. The questions follow the order of the recording, although the options within a question may be mentioned in any order.

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