IELTS Listening – Task Type 3 – Short-answer Questions

Task Description

What are candidates required to do?
Candidates read a question to which they have to write a short answer using information from the listening text. A word limit is given, usually no more than three words and/or a number. (Candidates should check this carefully for each task.)

What variations are there on this task type?
Sometimes candidates are given a question which asks them to list two or three points.

Are candidates penalised for writing more than the stated number of words?
Yes. If candidates write more than the number of words asked for, they will lose the mark even if their answer includes the correct word(s).

What about contractions or hyphenated words?
Contracted words will not be tested. Hyphenated words count as single words.

Understanding the Task

To see examples of this task type please click on the link below.

Examples of Task Type 3

To understand better how candidates need to approach this task, it may help you to do the task yourself and analyse what you had to do to find the right answer.

Look at this sample Task Type 3. Complete the task, thinking about how you are doing it.

Sample Task Type 3 Task (PDF)
Recording
Tapescript
Answers

Things to consider

Now look at these questions about how you approached the task and consider your answers.

1. What type of information do these questions focus on?
   
   
2. Do the answers have to be complete sentences?
   
   
3. Do the answers have to include words such as a/the?
   
   
4. What is the maximum number of words/letters/numbers you can write for each answer?
   
   
5. Can some of the answers consist of just one word?
   
   
6. Where the answer is a sum of money, is it necessary to write the currency symbol? (e.g. £/$)