Do you need more IELTS Listening practice?
Today you’ll get Listening Part 3 practice about an art festival.
This is the hardest part of the listening exam for many students.
- Multiple speakers (2-4), so it can be difficult to track the different voices
- It’s an academic conversation, so it’s not as entertaining
- You’ll be asked to identify specific facts, opinions, attitudes, and the exchange of information between speakers.
- Common question types include multiple-choice, completion (notes, tables, flowcharts), and matching
- Rarely are the exact words in the questions and audio. Instead, you’ll need to listen for synonyms and paraphrases.
Strategies to use:
1- Identify keywords
- You’ll have 30 seconds to read the questions before the audio starts
- Read the questions first and underline or highlight keywords. These are words that will definitely be in the audio, though they will likely appear as synonyms or in a paraphrase
- Make predictions
- Will the answer be a name? A date?
- Will it be a noun, verb, etc. (especially useful for note completion)
Identify the keywords before listening
Before listening to the audio, read the following questions and identify keywords.
Choose the correct letter A, B, or C.
1. What is Hannah responsible for during the festival?
A. Logistics
B. Publicity
C. Volunteer training
2. Why was David chosen to manage logistics?
A. He volunteered for the role
B. His relevant past experience
C. He works near the venue
3. Which of the following will Clara be doing?
A. Writing press releases
B. Organizing volunteers
C. Managing equipment
4. Who will arrange for payment?
A. Michelle
B. Aubrey
C. Clara
Transcript of listening Part 3 audio
Two colleagues, Aubrey and Michelle, are discussing the upcoming Community Arts Festival and the roles of key team members.
A: So, Michelle, have you finalized the list of team members for the Community Arts Festival?
M: Yes, I have. Let’s go over the main roles to make sure everything’s covered.
A: Great. Let’s start with Hannah. Is she still handling the logistics? (1)
M: Actually, no. She’s moved over to marketing this year. She’ll be managing the social media campaign, press releases, and also coordinating with local radio stations.
A: That’s a better fit for her, honestly. And who’s doing logistics now?
M: That’s been given to David. He was in charge of last year’s food festival, so he’ll be organizing the venue setup, transportation, and equipment rental.
A: Perfect. And what about Clara? Is she back on the volunteer team?
M: Yes, and she’s leading it this time. She’ll be recruiting and training all the festival volunteers, plus managing the schedule on the day of the event.
A: Sounds like everyone’s well-placed. Payment is due next week. I was going to ask Clara to take care of that, but would you mind doing it?
M: Will do.
IELTS trap to avoid
Watch out for the common IELTS trap in question #4.
Michelle’s name is not mentioned again at the end of the audio when this question is answered.
You have to track the speakers so you know who says what.
Answer key:
1. What is Hannah responsible for during the festival?
B. Publicity
2. Why was David chosen to manage logistics?
B. His relevant past experience
3. Which of the following will Clara be doing?
B. Organizing volunteers
4. Who will arrange for payment?
A. Michelle
Don’t miss our previous episodes with IELTS Listening practice.
IELTS Energy 1519: Avoid IELTS Traps With This Listening Part 2 Practice
Takeaway
Listening part 3 can be very difficult because there are multiple speakers to track.
Practice using strategies so that you can answer these questions correctly!
