IELTS Listening: Table Completion Practice and Tips

This is the third of five kinds of questions that require you to fill in the gaps in a listening text.

Mục Lục

1. Table Completion Question Type Explained

For table completion, you will summarize information in categories. Completing a form can sometimes involve a lot of numerical information; for example, place, time, and price.

This is a very common question type, especially in Part 1. You will hear many kinds of conversations and other audio recordings. Occasionally, you will be given a word bank from which to choose your answers.

2. This is how the question will appear on your question paper:

Table Completion Practice and Tips

3. Tips Before You Listen

Here are some tips that will help you before you listen to the audio:

Read the instructions carefully! Don’t write any more words and numbers than what the instructions allow you to write. If you do, your answer will be incorrect, even if you technically have the correct answer.
You will have time to read the notes before the recording plays. Notice if the gap requires a word or a number.
You will need to listen for specific details and key words.
Mark key words from the sentences, so you can listen for them.
Think of synonyms for these key words that you might hear.
Based on the form, predict the topic and possible content of the audio you are about to hear.
Reading the headings and subheadings will give you a good idea of what you need to listen for.
Be sure to also read the lines of the form that have no gaps. This will help you keep your place in the audio as you listen.
If you have a word bank, the answers may be listed randomly, in no particular order.

4. While you Listen

Here are tips to consider as you are listening:

The gaps will be in the same order as the information you hear.
Write numbers in numerical form to prevent spelling mistakes.
Write the EXACT WORDS you hear in the audio recording.
Focus on the main points which a listener would normally record in this kind of situation.
It is allowed and advisable to write your answers in all capital letters. They are easier to read, and you can avoid incorrect capitalization, which would be marked incorrect.
Check the progression of questions carefully. The questions will not necessarily go from left to right in the table.

If you have trouble with a question, make an educated guess and move on. You don’t want to lose your place in the audio and risk missing even more questions. Don’t leave any answers blank, even if you have to guess.

5. Ready to try a sample question?

First, read through the form quickly, paying special attention to the words and numbers around each gap. Then, click play and listen to the audio to find the answers. During the actual exam, you will only be able to hear the audio once, so try to answer the questions as you listen one time. Of course, since you are practicing, you may listen to the audio multiple times to become more familiar with the question type and how to answer it.

Ready? Here are the questions.

You will hear a man and a woman discussing their opinions of a course they recently completed. First you have some time to look at Questions 21-30.

Table Completion Practice and Tips

Now, listen to the audio and answer the question.

21.

Woman: So the first field here is, let´s see, course and course section.
Man: Well, introduction to public speaking, and

I think the course section was. Wait a sec. Yes, PS101something. Oh yes, PS101A.

PS101A

Woman: So the first field here is, let´s see, course and course section.
Man: Well, introduction to public speaking, and

I think the course section was. Wait a sec. Yes, PS101something. Oh yes, PS101A.
22.

Man: Wow, this semester certainly has flown by.

So we finished this past Wednesday. Was that July 14th or…?

Woman: No, the 14th fell on Monday, so it was the 16th.

July 16

Man: Wow, this semester certainly has flown by.

So we finished this past Wednesday. Was that July 14th or…?

Woman: No, the 14th fell on Monday, so it was the 16th.
23.

Woman: Well, it was good that

the professor gave us the course syllabus at the beginning,

in the very first session.
Notice how the talk is organized. First, they talk about a positive point, then a negative point.

(course) syllabus

Woman: Well, it was good that

the professor gave us the course syllabus at the beginning,

in the very first session.
Notice how the talk is organized. First, they talk about a positive point, then a negative point.
24.

Woman: Yeah, totally. And then all of a sudden the second half of the course we got all of this work, readings to do and speeches to plan.

I mean, the workload was a bit much.

The man and woman agree about the amount of work, then we hear the word that fits into the gap.

workload

Woman: Yeah, totally. And then all of a sudden the second half of the course we got all of this work, readings to do and speeches to plan.

I mean, the workload was a bit much.

The man and woman agree about the amount of work, then we hear the word that fits into the gap.
25.

Man: Yes, it´d be better if it was more evenly spaced out.

Ok, so next, course delivery. Does that mean the teaching part?

The man says “next,” indicating that they are going to the next category.

course delivery

Man: Yes, it´d be better if it was more evenly spaced out.

Ok, so next, course delivery. Does that mean the teaching part?

The man says “next,” indicating that they are going to the next category.
26.

Woman: I suppose so.

I thought the overall standard of teaching was really quite good.

“Quite good” is another way of saying “high,” so the answer is “standard of teaching.”

standard of teaching

Woman: I suppose so.

I thought the overall standard of teaching was really quite good.

“Quite good” is another way of saying “high,” so the answer is “standard of teaching.”
27.

Man:

One thing I really liked were the handouts that went along with the sessions. They really helped me to take better notes.

The man mentions the handouts, then continues to say they “helped him,” which is similar to being “helpful.”

handouts

Man:

One thing I really liked were the handouts that went along with the sessions. They really helped me to take better notes.

The man mentions the handouts, then continues to say they “helped him,” which is similar to being “helpful.”
28.

But

we do have feedback on the oral presentation. It was very helpful to get feedback on that so quickly

as it helped me with the final assignment.

oral presentation

But

we do have feedback on the oral presentation. It was very helpful to get feedback on that so quickly

as it helped me with the final assignment.
29.

Woman: That was true for the oral presentation, but not always for the written work. There was a lot of that and it wasn’t stressful because

I didn’t always know what was expected.

Man: Yes, I´d agree. I mean why can’t they tell us the criteria.

The man previously mentions how they were evaluated, then uses the word “criteria” related to that comment.

criteria

Woman: That was true for the oral presentation, but not always for the written work. There was a lot of that and it wasn’t stressful because

I didn’t always know what was expected.

Man: Yes, I´d agree. I mean why can’t they tell us the criteria.

The man previously mentions how they were evaluated, then uses the word “criteria” related to that comment.
30.

Man: And the final assignment. So

anything else you want to add about the course in general?

Woman: Well, I thought that student support was particularly good.

The woman offers her opinion of the course in general.

student support

…but with

Minor Character,

I am so looking forward to seeing

how the director navigates the challenge

of working with these different translations.