Hello, I’m Priya Sharma, IELTS Listening instructor at IELTS Zone. In Section 2 of the Listening test, you’ll often hear a single speaker explaining a map or layout — perhaps a museum tour, a university campus, or a local event venue. Your task in Map & Plan Labelling Questions in IELTS Listening is to follow directions and label the correct locations on a visual diagram.
This question type checks whether you can understand spatial language — words like “next to,” “opposite,” “beyond,” and “at the corner.” Mastering this skill not only improves your IELTS score but also your real-life listening confidence when living abroad.
You’ll see a simple map or plan showing roads, buildings, or rooms. The recording will describe the layout, and you must identify which letter (label) matches each feature.
Example:
You will hear a tour guide explaining the layout of a city park.
|
Question |
Answer |
|
1 Children’s Play Area |
B |
|
2 Café |
F |
|
3 Car Park |
H |
Key facts:
Before the audio starts, study the map carefully.
Look for:
In my classroom, I always say: “Read the map as a story, not a drawing.”
Try to visualise the speaker walking through the space so your mind moves with them while listening.
Understanding directional language is crucial. Here’s a quick reference:
|
Phrase |
Meaning |
|
next to / beside |
immediately adjacent |
|
opposite / across from |
facing the other side |
|
behind |
at the back of |
|
in front of |
before something |
|
at the corner of |
intersection point |
|
between A and B |
middle position |
|
to the left / right of |
relative movement |
|
beyond |
past a specific point |
IELTS recordings use these phrases frequently. Familiarising yourself with them turns verbal maps into visual pictures in your mind.
The audio often follows a logical path — for example, clockwise around a building or from entrance to exit. Use the arrows or numbers on the diagram to guess this route beforehand.
Example:
“If you enter through the main door, you’ll see the reception desk directly ahead. Turn left for the conference hall and right for the cafeteria.”
Anticipating the route helps you follow the speaker without getting lost midway.
Section 2 recordings may feature British or Australian accents. Be ready for subtle differences in prepositions and numbers:
They mean the same, but word order changes. Regular listening to BBC Travel or ABC Australia recordings builds adaptability.
Cambridge recordings often include false starts or revisions like:
“The toilets used to be next to the shop, but they’re now behind the ticket office.”
If you write too early, you’ll miss the correction. Wait until the speaker sounds certain before finalising your answer.
Another common trap is reversed direction: > “Go past the bridge and turn right — sorry, I mean left.”
A moment’s pause can save a mark.
Try these practice exercises to sharpen your spatial awareness:
By training visually and aurally together, you build “mental mapping” — a Band 8 skill.
|
Mistake |
Why It Happens |
How to Fix It |
|
Writing too soon |
Students guess before the speaker confirms. |
Wait until the sentence ends. |
|
Ignoring orientation (North/South) |
Forgetting which direction the speaker faces. |
Mark N arrow before listening. |
|
Losing place on the map |
Speaker moves fast. |
Follow numbers with a pencil or cursor. |
|
Mixing rows/columns |
Confusing labels with answers. |
Glance at question numbers often. |
Avoiding these pitfalls improves accuracy instantly.
|
Day |
Activity |
|
Mon |
Do one Cambridge map labelling test under timed conditions. |
|
Tue |
Practise directional vocabulary and prepositions. |
|
Wed |
Shadow a British museum tour video. |
|
Thu |
Analyse a wrong answer set to identify misheard directions. |
|
Fri |
Take a mock IELTS Section 2 test without pausing the audio. |
Consistency matters more than hours — ten focused minutes daily beats one long session.
To recap, Map & Plan Labelling Questions in IELTS Listening test your ability to follow spoken directions and understand spatial language.
When you can visualise spoken movement easily, you’ll handle Section 2 with confidence.
Next, move to Matching Information (Places or Features) to learn how to connect locations or features with their descriptions — the next step in Section 2 mastery.
Hello, I’m Priya Sharma, IELTS Listening instructor at IELTS Zone. In Section 2 of the Listening test, you’ll often hear a single speaker explaining a map or layout — perhaps a museum tour, a university campus, or a local event venue. Your task in Map & Plan Labelling Questions in IELTS Listening is to follow directions and label the correct locations on a visual diagram.
This question type checks whether you can understand spatial language — words like “next to,” “opposite,” “beyond,” and “at the corner.” Mastering this skill not only improves your IELTS score but also your real-life listening confidence when living abroad.
You’ll see a simple map or plan showing roads, buildings, or rooms. The recording will describe the layout, and you must identify which letter (label) matches each feature.
Example:
You will hear a tour guide explaining the layout of a city park.
|
Question |
Answer |
|
1 Children’s Play Area |
B |
|
2 Café |
F |
|
3 Car Park |
H |
Key facts:
Before the audio starts, study the map carefully.
Look for:
In my classroom, I always say: “Read the map as a story, not a drawing.”
Try to visualise the speaker walking through the space so your mind moves with them while listening.
Understanding directional language is crucial. Here’s a quick reference:
|
Phrase |
Meaning |
|
next to / beside |
immediately adjacent |
|
opposite / across from |
facing the other side |
|
behind |
at the back of |
|
in front of |
before something |
|
at the corner of |
intersection point |
|
between A and B |
middle position |
|
to the left / right of |
relative movement |
|
beyond |
past a specific point |
IELTS recordings use these phrases frequently. Familiarising yourself with them turns verbal maps into visual pictures in your mind.
The audio often follows a logical path — for example, clockwise around a building or from entrance to exit. Use the arrows or numbers on the diagram to guess this route beforehand.
Example:
“If you enter through the main door, you’ll see the reception desk directly ahead. Turn left for the conference hall and right for the cafeteria.”
Anticipating the route helps you follow the speaker without getting lost midway.
Section 2 recordings may feature British or Australian accents. Be ready for subtle differences in prepositions and numbers:
They mean the same, but word order changes. Regular listening to BBC Travel or ABC Australia recordings builds adaptability.
Cambridge recordings often include false starts or revisions like:
“The toilets used to be next to the shop, but they’re now behind the ticket office.”
If you write too early, you’ll miss the correction. Wait until the speaker sounds certain before finalising your answer.
Another common trap is reversed direction: > “Go past the bridge and turn right — sorry, I mean left.”
A moment’s pause can save a mark.
Try these practice exercises to sharpen your spatial awareness:
By training visually and aurally together, you build “mental mapping” — a Band 8 skill.
|
Mistake |
Why It Happens |
How to Fix It |
|
Writing too soon |
Students guess before the speaker confirms. |
Wait until the sentence ends. |
|
Ignoring orientation (North/South) |
Forgetting which direction the speaker faces. |
Mark N arrow before listening. |
|
Losing place on the map |
Speaker moves fast. |
Follow numbers with a pencil or cursor. |
|
Mixing rows/columns |
Confusing labels with answers. |
Glance at question numbers often. |
Avoiding these pitfalls improves accuracy instantly.
|
Day |
Activity |
|
Mon |
Do one Cambridge map labelling test under timed conditions. |
|
Tue |
Practise directional vocabulary and prepositions. |
|
Wed |
Shadow a British museum tour video. |
|
Thu |
Analyse a wrong answer set to identify misheard directions. |
|
Fri |
Take a mock IELTS Section 2 test without pausing the audio. |
Consistency matters more than hours — ten focused minutes daily beats one long session.
To recap, Map & Plan Labelling Questions in IELTS Listening test your ability to follow spoken directions and understand spatial language.
When you can visualise spoken movement easily, you’ll handle Section 2 with confidence.
Next, move to Matching Information (Places or Features) to learn how to connect locations or features with their descriptions — the next step in Section 2 mastery.
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