Listening multiple choice & map/plan labelling

Multiple choice and map or plan labelling usually appear in Parts 2 and 3 of the IELTS Listening test. They feel harder than form completion because you are not writing a word you hear. You are choosing between options that all sound possible, or following directions around a place you have never visited. The good news is that both task types follow clear patterns, and you can train for them.

How the Listening test is organised

The test has four parts and 40 questions, and you hear each recording once only. Part 1 is an everyday conversation, Part 2 is an everyday monologue (for example, a tour guide or a radio talk), Part 3 is an academic discussion between students or with a tutor, and Part 4 is an academic lecture. The recordings last about 30 minutes. On paper you then get extra time to transfer answers; on computer you get a short review period instead.

Multiple choice: the three traps

In a multiple-choice question you might pick one answer from A, B or C, or choose two or three answers from a longer list. The speakers almost always mention every option. That is the design. Your job is to hear which option is actually confirmed. Watch for these traps:

• The correction. A speaker says one thing, then changes it: "We were going to meet on Monday... actually, Wednesday suits everyone better."
• The rejected idea. An option is mentioned and then dismissed: "Some people suggest the library, but it closes too early."
• The paraphrase. The right answer rarely uses the exact words on the page. "Too expensive" in the options may be "we simply couldn't afford it" in the recording.

Before the recording starts

1. Underline the key idea in the question stem, not only the options. The stem tells you what the speaker must answer.
2. Notice how the options differ. If A, B and C are all about transport, the difference might be cost, speed or comfort.
3. Think of one or two synonyms for each option.

While you listen

Do not tick an option the moment you hear its word. Wait until the speaker finishes the idea. Mark a light question mark if you are unsure, then move on when the next question's topic begins. If you lose one answer, let it go; chasing it will cost you the next two.

Map and plan labelling

Here you see a map, a floor plan or a diagram with some places labelled and others marked with letters or blanks. A speaker describes the layout, often in Part 2.

Get oriented in 20 seconds

• Find the starting point. It is often marked "You are here" or "Entrance".
• Check which way is north if there is a compass.
• Read the labels already given. The speaker will use them as landmarks.
• Notice the order of the numbered questions. They usually follow the speaker's route.

Learn the direction language

Speakers use a limited set of phrases again and again:

• opposite, next to, beside, between, behind, in front of
• on your left / right as you go in
• at the end of the corridor, just past the lifts, in the far corner
• go straight ahead, turn left at the junction, cross the bridge
• to the north-east of, in the south-west corner

Practise by describing your own neighbourhood in English. Where is the pharmacy from the bus stop? What is opposite your school?

Worked example

Imagine a plan of a new community centre in Shah Alam, Malaysia. You are asked where the prayer room is, with options on the plan marked D, E and F.

You hear: "When you come through the main doors, the reception desk is straight ahead. The café used to be on the right, but it has moved upstairs, so that space is now the prayer room. The computer lab is further along on the same side."

The trap is the word "café". A weak listener might mark the café's old position as something else and get confused. A careful listener hears "that space is now the prayer room" and finds the room on the right, just after the entrance. That is the answer.

Common mistakes

• Choosing the first option you hear. Speakers often mention a wrong option first.
• Ignoring "two answers" instructions. If the task says "Choose TWO letters", one letter scores nothing for the second mark.
• Losing your place on the map. Keep your pencil moving along the route as the speaker walks.
• Mixing up left and right. Left and right are always from the speaker's direction of travel, not from your view of the page. Turn the paper if it helps.
• Leaving blanks. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so always guess at the end.

How to practise

Use the practice tests on this site and replay a Part 2 recording. The second time, pause after each question and say why the other options were wrong. This builds the habit of listening for the confirmed answer, not the loudest word.

Quick tip

Before each map question, put your finger on the starting point. When the speaker says "from here", your finger is already in the right place, and you will never lose the route.