High-advanced level · Australian accent · Free
IELTS Listening Academic Test 12
A full 4-part, 40-question listening test at band 7.5 difficulty, recorded with Australian accent audio, taken under the real 30-minute computer-delivered timing and graded the moment you finish.
What is in this test?
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Band 7.5 (High-advanced) |
| Accent | Australian accent audio |
| Format | 4 parts · 40 questions · audio plays once |
| Timing | 30 minutes, computer-delivered interface |
| Grading | Instant, with standard raw-score-to-band conversion |
| Review | Per-question transcript locations after submission |
Like the real exam, the four sections climb from everyday conversation to an academic lecture, and the audio never repeats. Band 7.5 calibration means a candidate targeting band 7.5 should score about 32/40 here on a good day (the official conversion for band 7.5), and is ready for the next test at 35/40.
What do you hear in each part of Test 12?
| Part | What you hear | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Conversation | A caller asks about joining a sailing club and taking lessons | Form and table completion |
| 2 · Talk | An airport operations manager’s briefing on a terminal | Multiple choice |
| 3 · Discussion | A professor and a student discuss research methods for a study of homelessness | Matching, multiple choice |
| 4 · Lecture | A lecture on volcanic eruptions and the weather | Note completion |
Parts 1 and 2 are set in everyday life and Parts 3 and 4 in education, as in the real test. Each part has ten questions, so the question types above tell you what to practise before you start.
How should you approach a band-7.5 listening test?
Band-7.5 material uses academic vocabulary in Section 4 and near-native pacing throughout. What separates a 7 from a 7.5 here is precision under pressure: plurals, hyphenated words, the spelling of semi-technical terms ("questionnaire", "accommodation"). At this level you should be reviewing every lost mark by transcript to classify it: mishearing, misreading, or misspelling, each needing a different fix.
Why practice with a Australian accent?
Australian English shifts several vowels ("today" can sound close to "to-die") and rises in intonation at statement ends, which candidates mishear as questions. It appears regularly in real IELTS recordings, and many candidates meet it for the first time in the exam room. This practice removes exactly that surprise.
Try a sample question first
Map labelling. Label the map. Choose from letters A–E.
Audio: “Guide: "From the main entrance, walk straight past the fountain. The glasshouse is directly behind it — you can't miss it — and the herb garden sits to its left, just before the east gate."”
Question: The herb garden is: (position relative to glasshouse)
Answer: to the left of the glasshouse (before the east gate). Map tasks are chains of spatial anchors: entrance → fountain → glasshouse → left → east gate. Trace with your pen as you listen; the answer is the last anchor in the chain.
This sample was written for this page; the 40 questions in the actual test are different.
How do I take this test?
- Create a free account (no card): the Free plan includes unlimited listening practice
- Open Listening and choose Academic Test 12
- Sit the full 30 minutes in one block, exactly as on test day
- Review every lost mark against the transcript, then drill that question type
Warm up one level down with Test 11 (band 6.5). When you clear 35/40 here, step up to Test 13 (band 8.0).
More tests at band 7.5: Test 7, Test 18. More Australian recordings: Test 2, Test 5, Test 9, Test 16.
Take Academic Test 12 free
Full exam timing, instant band score, transcript review. No card needed.
Start this test