Hi, I’m Priya Sharma, IELTS Listening instructor at IELTS Zone.
In this lesson we’ll tackle Note Completion (Lecture Context) in IELTS Listening, the core task type in Section 4 — the final and most academic part of the test.
Here you listen to a university-style lecture or presentation on a general academic topic (e.g. biology, architecture, business). You must complete notes that summarise key facts from the speaker. Your score here often determines your overall band, so accuracy matters.
You see an incomplete set of notes from a lecture. Each gap represents one to three words or a number. You must write exactly what you hear.
Example:
Lecture on Renewable Energy
• Main focus: development of ________ power plants in coastal regions
• Key benefit: reduced ________ emissions
• Future goal: increase capacity by ________ percent
Key facts:
Spelling and word limit are critical.
In the 30 seconds before the recording:
Prediction is crucial because Section 4 recordings are fast and continuous
Academic lectures usually follow this pattern:
Signal phrases such as “Let’s begin with…,” “Another point is…,” and “To sum up…” help you locate answers. Each often marks a new section of your notes.
Question Word | Possible Recording Equivalent |
advantage | benefit / positive aspect |
problem | issue / challenge |
result | outcome / finding |
increase | rise / growth |
Because the speaker uses paraphrases, you must understand meaning rather than matching words.
Section 4 often includes numerical data. Train your ear for differences like “15” vs “50” and fractions such as “one-third.” You may also hear dates (“in 2015”), percentages, or measurements (“5 kilometres wide”). Write numbers clearly and avoid spelling out digits unless instructed.
Always read the instruction line at the top of the page.
If it says “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER,” then “solar energy panels” (three words) would be wrong.
Check that your word fits grammatically: singular/plural agreement must make sense within the sentence.
Listen for phrases like:
These announce important points that correspond to gaps in your notes.
Issue | Cause | Fix |
Can’t keep up | Audio speed too fast | Practise shadowing lectures on YouTube at 1.25× speed. |
Wrong grammar | Not checking sentence fit | Read before and after blank. |
Spelling errors | Unfamiliar academic terms | Keep a spelling list for subject vocabulary. |
Writing extra words | Ignoring instructions | Underline word-limit rule before test. |
Section 4 has no b.reaks between questions. Build stamina by listening to 10-minute university lectures daily. Try BBC Radio 4’s “In Our Time” or TED-Ed academic videos. Pause after each minute to note keywords and compare with the transcript
Lecturer: “During the study, participants recorded sleep patterns for a period of two weeks using a digital tracker.”
Question: Participants monitored their sleep for a period of _______ using a digital tracker.
✅ Answer → two weeks
Note how the answer fits grammatically and follows the audio exactly
Day | Focus |
Mon | Do one Cambridge Section 4 Note Completion task under timed conditions. |
Tue | Analyse transcript for synonyms and signal phrases. |
Wed | Practise dictation with short lectures (3–5 mins). |
Thu | Take a mock test without pausing. |
Fri | Review spelling and create a personal word list. |
To summarise, Note
Completion (Lecture Context) in IELTS Listening tests your ability to:
Once you’re
confident with this format, you’re ready for more complex sentence-based tasks.
Continue to Sentence
Completion (Lecture Context) to learn how to record specific details from
extended lectures.
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