IELTS Listening Table Completion: Tips, Example and Common Traps

In this guide

1. 1What Are IELTS Listening Table Questions?
2. 2What the Questions Look Like
3. 3Step-by-Step Strategy for Table Completion
4. 4Worked Example with Transcript
5. 5Common Mistakes and Traps
6. 6How to Practise Table Completion
7. 7Key Takeaways

IELTS Listening table completion questions ask you to fill in gaps in a table while listening to a recording. You will see a table with rows and columns, and some cells are blank. Your job is to listen and write the missing information. This question type often appears in Part 1, but you may also see tables in other parts of the test. In this guide, you will learn exactly how to answer table completion tasks, with clear table completion tips, a step-by-step strategy, a worked example and an explanation of common mistakes. If you want to understand all the question types in the test, read our overview of all IELTS Listening question types.

What Are IELTS Listening Table Questions?

IELTS Listening table questions present information in a grid. The table usually compares options such as courses, hotels, tours or jobs. Typical column headings include Name, Price, Location and Feature. The recording will talk about each option, and you need to fill in the gaps. The questions normally follow the order of the rows, moving from left to right. Always check the numbering to see the direction.

The instructions tell you the word limit, for example:

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

You must follow this limit exactly. If you write two words when the limit is one, your answer is wrong. The answers are words you hear in the recording; you do not need to change them.

This task type tests your ability to pick out specific details such as names, numbers, dates and simple descriptions. It also checks that you can follow the organisation of information as the speaker moves through the options.

What the Questions Look Like

Below is a realistic example of an IELTS Listening table completion task. The context is a conversation between a customer and a receptionist at a language school. The customer is asking about part-time courses.

Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

In this table, the column headings tell you what type of information each gap needs. For example, gap 1 is a date, gap 2 is a price, gap 3 is a level and gap 4 is a date. The row headings tell you which course each gap belongs to. Before you listen, you should highlight these headings and think about possible answers.

Step-by-Step Strategy for Table Completion

Here is a practical strategy you can use for any IELTS Listening table completion task.

Before You Listen

1. Read the instructions carefully. Check the word limit. Is it ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER? Or NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS? Underline it.
2. Study the table layout. Look at the column headings and row headings. They tell you what each gap needs: a date, a price, a name, a location and so on.
3. Predict possible answers. For gap 1 in our example, you know it is a start date. You can expect to hear a day and a month, or just a month. For gap 2, you expect a number with a currency symbol. This prediction helps your ear catch the answer.
4. Follow the numbering. The questions usually go row by row, from left to right. In our example, the order is gap 1, then gap 2, then gap 3, then gap 4. Knowing this helps you keep your place.
5. Underline key words in the row headings. For the first gap, the key word is "General English". When you hear the speaker mention General English, you know the answer is coming soon.

While You Listen

1. Listen for the exact words. The answers are always words from the recording. Do not paraphrase. If the speaker says "September 15th", write that.
2. Watch out for distractors. Speakers often say one thing and then correct themselves. For example: "It starts on the 10th… sorry, the 12th." The second number is the answer. We will see this in the worked example below.
3. Keep up with the speaker. If you miss an answer, do not panic. Move on to the next gap. You can guess later; there is no penalty for wrong answers.
4. Write clearly. If you are taking the paper test, you will have 10 minutes at the end to transfer your answers. Make sure your handwriting is easy to read.

After You Listen

1. Check your spelling. A misspelt answer scores zero. Common words like "Wednesday" or "February" must be correct.
2. Check the word limit. If the instruction says ONE WORD and you wrote "15 pounds", change it to "15" or "£15" (the symbol is not a word).
3. Never leave a blank. There is no penalty for guessing, so write something in every gap.

Worked Example with Transcript

Let us use the table from the previous section. Here is the transcript of the relevant part of the recording.

Receptionist: Hello, how can I help you? Customer: Hi, I’d like some information about your part-time English courses. Receptionist: Certainly. We have four courses available this term. The first is General English. That’s for elementary level students. Customer: And when does it start? Receptionist: It begins on the 21st of September. That’s a Monday. Customer: Right. And the price? Receptionist: That one is £95 per week. Customer: Okay. What about the IELTS Preparation course? Receptionist: That’s at intermediate level. It starts on the 5th of October, and the cost is £110 per week. Customer: Sorry, did you say £100? Receptionist: No, it’s £110. Actually, let me check… yes, £110. Customer: Got it. And Business English? Receptionist: That’s for upper-intermediate students. It begins on the 12th of October and it’s £120 per week. Customer: Upper-intermediate, okay. And the last one? Receptionist: Conversation Skills. That’s at pre-intermediate level. It starts on the 2nd of November, and it’s the cheapest at £85 per week. Customer: The 2nd of November? Receptionist: Yes, that’s right.

Now let us find the answers.

Gap 1: Start date for General English. The customer asks "when does it start?" and the receptionist replies "It begins on the 21st of September." The answer is 21st September (or September 21st). Both are acceptable. The word limit is ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER, so "21st September" is fine because "21st" is a number and "September" is one word.

Gap 2: Price for IELTS Preparation. The receptionist says "the cost is £110 per week." The customer then asks "did you say £100?" This is a distractor. The receptionist corrects it: "No, it’s £110." The answer is 110 (or £110). The instruction allows a number, so "110" is correct.

Gap 3: Level for Business English. The receptionist says "That’s for upper-intermediate students." The answer is upper-intermediate. This is one word because it is hyphenated.

Gap 4: Start date for Conversation Skills. The receptionist says "It starts on the 2nd of November." The customer repeats it, and the receptionist confirms. The answer is 2nd November (or November 2nd).

Notice how the questions follow the order of the rows. The speaker moves from General English to IELTS Preparation to Business English to Conversation Skills. The answers come in the same order as the gaps.

Common Mistakes and Traps

Even strong candidates lose marks on table completion tasks. Here are the most common problems and how to avoid them.

• Writing more than the word limit. If the instruction says ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER and you write "£110 per week", your answer is wrong. Only write the words or numbers that are strictly necessary. In this case, "£110" or "110" is enough.
• Spelling errors. Words like "September" and "upper-intermediate" must be spelled correctly. If you are not sure, check your spelling during the transfer time.
• Getting distracted by corrections. As you saw in the example, the speaker said £110, the customer misheard £100, and the speaker corrected it. Always listen for the final version.
• Losing your place. If you miss one answer, you might panic and miss the next one too. Keep your eyes on the next gap. You can go back and guess later.
• Ignoring the column headings. Some candidates write a date when the gap needs a price, simply because they did not check the heading. Always know what type of word you are listening for.
• Writing the answer in the wrong format. For dates, "21 September" and "September 21" are both fine. But if you write "21/09", that might be accepted, but it is safer to write the words you hear.
• Not using the preparation time. You have 30 seconds to one minute before each part. Use this time to study the table, underline headings and predict answers. This makes a big difference.

How to Practise Table Completion

Regular, focused practice is the best way to improve. Here are some exercises you can do.

• Predict answers from tables. Find any table with gaps (you can create your own from a newspaper or website). Look at the column headings and write down what type of word each gap needs. This trains your prediction skills.
• Listen for specific details. Use short recordings such as news reports or podcasts. Write down any names, numbers, dates and prices you hear. Check your spelling afterwards.
• Create your own table tasks. Take a transcript from a practice test and turn it into a table completion exercise. Remove some cells and ask a study partner to fill them in while listening.
• Practise with a timer. In the real test, you have limited time to read the questions. Set a timer for 30 seconds and see how much you can underline and predict.
• Use a variety of voices. The IELTS Listening test uses different accents, mainly British, American, Australian and New Zealand. Listen to recordings with these accents to get comfortable.
• Get feedback on your answers. It can be hard to spot your own spelling mistakes or word-limit errors. You can practise with focused lessons that give you immediate feedback, such as IELTS Listening lessons.

For more practice with similar tasks, check our guides on IELTS Listening form completion questions and IELTS Listening note completion questions.

Key Takeaways

• Table completion questions test your ability to pick out specific details and follow the order of information.
• Always read the column and row headings to know what each gap needs before you listen.
• The answers come in the same order as the questions, usually row by row.
• Watch out for distractors: speakers often correct themselves, and the second version is the answer.
• Stick to the word limit exactly; writing extra words makes your answer wrong.
• Spelling must be correct, so check your answers carefully during the transfer time.

Frequently asked questions

How many words can I write in IELTS Listening table completion?

The word limit is given in the instructions, for example 'Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER' or 'NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS'. You must follow this exactly. If you write more words than allowed, your answer is marked wrong even if the information is correct.

Do IELTS Listening table completion answers come in order?

Yes, the answers almost always come in the same order as the questions. The speaker usually moves through the table row by row, from left to right. Check the numbering on the question paper to see the direction.

What should I do if I miss an answer in the table?

If you miss an answer, do not stop to think about it. Move on to the next gap immediately. You can guess the missing answer later. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so never leave a blank.

Can I write numbers as digits in table completion?

Yes, you can write numbers as figures (e.g. 15) or words (fifteen). Both are accepted. Using digits is often faster and reduces spelling mistakes. A hyphenated word like 'upper-intermediate' counts as one word.

What are common traps in IELTS Listening table completion?

Common traps include distractors where the speaker says one thing and then corrects it, word limits that are easy to exceed, and spelling mistakes. Also, candidates sometimes write the wrong type of information because they did not check the column heading.