IELTS Listening Map Labelling: Tips, Direction Vocabulary and an Example
What map labelling tests
Map and plan labelling questions, usually found in Section 2 and sometimes in Section 3, test whether you can follow spoken directions and match descriptions with places on a diagram. You are given a map with letters or numbers and a list of places such as the café, the library or the car park. The speaker describes a route or the position of each building, and you must write the correct letter. Unlike gap fill, the task depends more on spatial language than on spelling.
Direction and location vocabulary you must know
Prepositions of place are essential: opposite, next to, beside, adjacent to, between, behind, in front of, on the corner of, at the end of, and across from. Direction phrases include go straight on, turn left at the junction, take the second turning on the right, go past the fountain, follow the path until you reach the lake, and it is on your left as you walk. Compass words such as north, south-east and to the west of often appear on larger maps. Learn these phrases and practise drawing a simple map while you listen to descriptions.
A step-by-step method
Use the preview time to study the map. Find the entrance or the starting point, identify landmarks that are already labelled, and notice roads, rivers and paths that may be mentioned. Predict the language the speaker will use: if two buildings stand next to each other, you may hear 'beside' or 'adjacent to'. While listening, follow the speaker's route with your pencil and put a light mark on each place as it is described. The recording follows the route in order, so if you miss one answer, find your position again from the next landmark instead of staying on the missed question.
Worked example
Imagine the speaker says: 'When you come in through the main gate, the visitor centre is straight ahead. The café is directly opposite it, on the right side of the fountain. If you go past the café and keep walking along the path, the gift shop is at the very end, next to the lake.' To find the café you locate the visitor centre, then look across from it on the right side of the fountain. For the gift shop you continue past the café to the end of the path, near the lake. Each description uses a known landmark as a reference point, which is the standard pattern in map questions.
Common mistakes
The most common error is confusing left and right when the speaker changes direction or describes the view from a different position. Always listen for phrases such as 'as you face the entrance'. Candidates also forget that the map may include extra places that are not mentioned, so a letter without a description is not always an answer. Finally, do not write on the answer sheet until you are sure; use the transfer time to check that each letter matches the correct question number. Practise map tasks with the questions on the IELTS Listening practice page.
Frequently asked questions
In which section do map questions appear?
Most often in Section 2, and occasionally in Section 3.
Do I write a word or a letter?
Usually a letter, as shown in the instructions.
Are all places on the map used as answers?
No. Some places are distractors and are not mentioned.