This listening practice lesson is based on IELTS Listening Section 1. The topic is a Job Application which is a very common topic in the listening test. Section 1 requires you to listen for specific information and is the easiest section in the listening test, which means you should aim to get at least 90% or, if possible, 100% right (for people aiming for a high band score).
This listening lesson focuses on two different types of IELTS listening questions i) form completion ii) multiple choice. It is usual to get more than one type of question in one section of the listening test. In the real test, you will get 10 questions in section 1, but not all at the same time. IELTS usually break the questions into groups to make it easier. However, with my listening practice below, I’ve put them all together.
Instructions:
- Read through ALL questions from 1 to 10 so that you are prepared.
- Tip:
- Be ready for different accents
- The first question might be tough to answer but keep listening because the answer will be repeated again.
- Always keep calm, never panic and keep track of the questions
- Listen to the recording only once and note down your answers.
- Post your answers in the comments box at the bottom of the page.
- I’ll post the answers later this week with the transript.
Listening Section 1 Practice – Job Application
Questions 1- 3: Complete the notes below using no more than two words.
- Job Title Enquiry: (1) ……………
- Name: (2) ………………….
- Current Occupation: (3) ………………….
Questions 4-6: Choose the correct letter.
4. What work days will there be?
- a) all week days plus one full weekend day
- b) Monday to Friday only
- c) all week days and half a day on weekends
5. How many hours will the job actually require in reality?
- a) 40 hours
- b) over 40 hours
- c) 50 hours
6. What is the overall income per annum?
- a) £2,000
- b) £25,000
- c) over £25,000
Questions 7-10: Complete the notes below using no more than two words and/or numbers.
7. Job Reference Number: ……………
8. First interview date: ………………..
9. HR contact: ……………….
10. Start date: ……………..
Audio Recording
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ANSWERS & TRANSCRIPT
Click below to reveal the answers and the transcript. The transcript is provided by me so you can check your answers whilst listening to the recording and reading the transcript. It’s a great way to improve your listening skills and develop your English. You won’t be given the transcript in the real test.
ANSWERS- SALES REP
- This was tricky when you first heard it, but the answer was repeated twice more in the recording which should have given you a chance to get this right. A sales rep means a sales representative of a company.
- RACHEL / RACHAEL JONES
- You need both first name and last name for a correct answer.
- IELTS will often spell out names, but Rachael is a common name and you can find a list of common names with pronunciation in the Vocabulary section of this website.
- RECEPTIONIST
- c / C
- “Well, from Monday to Friday it’s 9am to 5pm and you’ll also have to work either a morning or an afternoon, which is about four hours, on either Saturday or Sunday.”
- b / B
- “…while the job is advertised as the standard 40 hours per week, it’ll go beyond that because of the weekend work”
- This question is testing your ability to differentiate between advertised hours and actual hours. The real hours will be more than 40 because of weekend work.
- c / C
- “… you’ll get a guaranteed income of £2,000 per month which works out more or less at about £25,000 each year, but as you’ll definitely be earning commission as well, you can add that on top …”
- This question is testing your ability to hear the difference between guaranteed income and overall income, which means everything together.
- It is very common in IELTS to be given one answer but then more information comes along which changes the answer. This is something to be ready for in IELTS listening.
- A76401
- 3rd AUGUST / AUGUST 3rd
- “,,,to the initial round of interviews which are being held on August 3rd.”
- The other dates mentioned were for second and third interviews. The applicant first had to get through the first interview on Aug 3rd in order to do the other interviews.
- Bob Castor
- You need both names spelled correctly.
- AUGUST 30th
- “…we hope to get the lucky candidate signed up by 30th August”
- The following dates were about induction and training which happens after a person joins the company.
- This means the official start date for the job is August 30th. A start date for a job is when you sign a contract and become part of the company.
Please note that answers can be written using small or lower case letters. If you are taking the paper based test, writing in capitals for listening and reading answers will help the person marking to read your answer clearly.
These practice lessons are not about getting it all right. It’s about learning and developing. Make a note of which answers you got wrong and why you think you got them wrong. This way, you will improve next time.
All listening exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.
Liz
- B: Hello, XDM Sales, how can I help you?
- A: Hi, I’m calling to apply for the job that you advertised this morning for a sales rep.
- B: Certainly. First, I’ll need to take some details. Could you give me your full name?
- A: Yes, it’s Rachel Jones.
- B: Thank you. Are you working at the moment?
- A: Yes, I’m working as a receptionist for a large multinational company.
- B: And you’re interested to change your position? It’s quite a change to go from working as a receptionist to a sales rep.
- A: I’m ready for a change. I want to do something more challenging. I feel my work as a receptionist has given me a lot of insight into customers and how to approach them. So, I think I’ll be well suited to work as a sales rep. Although, I would like to know a bit more about the position if that’s ok.
- B: Of course. What would you like to know?
- A: Could you tell me more about how many days and hours a week it involves.
- B: Well, from Monday to Friday it’s 9am to 5pm and you’ll also have to work either a morning or an afternoon, which is about four hours, on either Saturday or Sunday. I know it isn’t ideal to have to give up part of your weekend, but it won’t be every weekend and you can apply for the occasional weekend off. As for hours, while the job is advertised as the standard 40 hours per week, it’ll go beyond that because of the weekend work. Luckily, it isn’t likely to be as many as 50 hours per week.
- A: OK. That sounds fine. How about the salary?
- B: Well, you’ll get a guaranteed income of £2,000 per month which works out more or less at about £25,000 each year, but as you’ll definitely be earning commission as well, you can add that on top to make a nice bit extra over the course of the year.
- A: That’s not bad, but I guess it depends how much commission I’ll earn. Still, I’d like to apply. Could you let me know the application procedure?
- B: Yes, of course. You’ll find an application form to download on our website. Put both the job title and reference number: A76401 on the form. Then fill it in and email it to the applications department. Applications will be collected over the next five days. We’ll let you know if you’ve made it through to the initial round of interviews which are being held on August 3rd. For applicants making it through the first round, there will be two more sets of interviews on August 10th and August 21st. After that the final selection is made. If you don’t hear back from us regarding your application, please get in touch in case your application has ended up in spam or been misplaced.
- A: Who should I call in that situation?
- B: Call the senior HR manager, Bob Castor (that’s C A S T O R ), you’ll find his contact details on our website. He’ll let you know if you’re through to the interview round or not.
- A: Great. Can you let me know when the job is due to start and whether there will be an induction or not?
- B: Of course. As I said, the first set of interviews will be in early August and we hope to get the lucky candidate signed up by 30th August. Once the sales rep officially becomes part of the team, there will be an induction period from August 30th to September 7th during which time the new sales rep will learn more about the company, products and sales procedures. After that, the new sales rep will shadow one of our more successful reps for 10 days to pick up extra tips.
- A: That all sounds very exciting. I’ll get my application off today. Thanks.
- B: Not at all. Best of luck with your application. Bye.
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For more free IELTS Listening Practice Lessons with Liz, click here: IELTS Listening Tips & Practice
