How Listening Fill in the Blanks works
You see a transcript of a recording with some words removed. The audio, 30 to 60 seconds long, plays once, and you type each missing word into its gap. There are no options to choose from, which is the main difference from the reading fill in the blanks task, where you drag words from a list.
The task tests two things at once: can you hear the word, and can you spell it. That is why it contributes to both your listening and writing scores.
What is scored
You get one point for each blank filled with the correct word, spelled correctly. There is no credit for a near miss. If the speaker says environmental and you type enviromental, that blank scores zero. Leaving a blank empty also scores zero, so a sensible attempt is always better than nothing.
How to answer
- Skim the transcript before the audio starts. Look at the words around each gap and predict what kind of word is missing: a noun after the, a verb after to, an adjective before a noun.
- Keep your eyes moving with the speaker. Follow the text word by word so you know exactly when a gap is coming.
- Type immediately, even if roughly. The next gap may arrive a few seconds later. Get the first letters down and fix them after the audio ends.
- Correct after the recording. Once it stops, go back through every answer and check spelling, plural endings and verb forms against the grammar of the sentence.
Spelling and grammar checks that save points
Many lost points in this task come from the word being heard correctly and written incorrectly. After the audio, ask three questions about each answer:
- Does the grammar need a plural or a past tense? Speakers often swallow a final s or ed, but the sentence around the gap tells you it must be there.
- Is it a word with a doubled letter or silent letter, such as accommodation, necessary or government?
- Did you use the standard spelling? Stick to one spelling system throughout and avoid informal forms.
Common mistakes
- Losing your place in the transcript and missing two gaps in a row.
- Writing a synonym. Only the word actually spoken earns the point, even if another word fits the meaning.
- Typing two words in one gap. Each blank holds one word.
- Spending the post-audio time rereading the passage instead of checking spelling.
The recordings on this page use natural voices in a range of accents at normal speed. The skill you are training, tracking text while typing clean spellings, carries over directly.