Hi everyone, I’m Priya Sharma, IELTS Listening instructor at IELTS Zone.
In this part of the Listening test, you’ll hear a conversation in an academic context — often between a student and a tutor or between two students discussing an assignment. The task type is called Note Completion (Academic Context) in IELTS Listening, and it focuses on your ability to identify and record key information from academic-style discussions.
This question type develops your skills in listening for detail, recognising paraphrasing, and noting key terms from lectures or tutorials — all of which are vital for achieving Band 7 or higher.
You’ll see a set of incomplete notes summarising part of the discussion. Your task is to fill in each blank with the correct word(s) or number(s) from the recording.
Example:
Research Project Feedback
• Main topic: effect of _______ on student motivation
• Method: survey of _______ students
• Result: strong link between support and _______ performance
Each answer should follow the exact word limit written in the instructions.
Key features:
Requires attention to both factual content and academic vocabulary.
Before the recording starts, read the notes carefully and:
Prediction activates your contextual awareness so your ear is already “listening” for those ideas.
Section 3 often follows this flow:
Knowing this pattern helps you anticipate when an answer will appear — usually when the tutor confirms a point.
Example:
Student: “We used interviews for data collection.”
Tutor: “Good — interviews provide qualitative insights.”
→ The correct answer might be interviews.
IELTS loves to restate key words in new ways.
Question Word | Recording Equivalent |
“results” | “findings / outcomes” |
“problems” | “challenges / issues” |
“method” | “approach / technique” |
“suggested” | “recommended / proposed” |
In academic speech, synonyms are natural — train your brain to recognise them through practice with British Council Listening Tests.
Speakers often use clear signposts before answers appear:
As soon as you hear these, be ready to fill the blank immediately.
Always check the instruction line — usually “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER.”
The completed notes must be grammatically correct.
Example:
“The experiment involved _______ students.”
If the audio says “fifty undergraduate students,” the correct answer is 50 undergraduate, not fifty undergraduate students (because the word students is already printed).
Spelling also matters — a single error will lose the mark.
Mistake | Why It Happens | Solution |
Writing too early | Guessing before the speaker confirms | Wait until the speaker finishes the sentence. |
Ignoring grammar fit | Writing plural where singular fits | Read sentence before and after blank. |
Overwriting | Breaking the word limit | Check instructions carefully. |
Confusing speakers | Not noticing tutor vs student | Identify voices early in the recording. |
Section 3 introduces academic vocabulary and complex sentence patterns. Strengthen your understanding by:
The better your grasp of academic rhythm, the easier it is to catch answers.
Day | Focus |
Mon | Practise one Section 3 Note Completion task. |
Tue | Highlight synonyms and academic collocations in the transcript. |
Wed | Listen to an academic dialogue and summarise the key points. |
Thu | Take a timed mini test (without pausing). |
Fri | Analyse your spelling and grammar errors. |
Five short sessions like this will train your focus better than one long weekly session.
Tutor: “How did you select participants?”
Student: “We chose volunteers from the psychology department.”
Tutor: “Right — so your sample group consisted of psychology students.”
If the question asks:
The research involved _______ students.
→ Answer: psychology.
Always listen for restated information — that’s where your marks lie.
To summarise, Note Completion (Academic Context) in IELTS Listening tests your ability to:
Once you’re confident with this task, you’re ready to practise higher-level summary and context-based completion.
Next, continue to Summary Completion (Academic) to learn how to complete missing information in more complex academic texts.
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