IELTS Listening: Plan, map and diagram labelling
You label a map, a floor plan or a diagram while the recording plays — most often in Part 2, where one speaker describes a place. The English here is not difficult. The direction vocabulary is the whole task, and it is the part most candidates have never deliberately practised.
The language that carries the answers
| Kind | What you will hear |
|---|---|
| Relative position | opposite, next to, adjacent to, alongside, between, beyond |
| Compass | north of, to the south-east, in the north-west corner |
| Movement | go past, follow the path round, take the second turning, carry on until |
| Layout | at the far end, in the middle of, on your left as you enter, behind |
Nearly every mark in this type is decided by one of these phrases rather than by a noun, so the answer can be lost without a single unfamiliar word being spoken.
Track position, not words
- In the preparation time, orient yourself: find the entrance, the compass, and any labelled landmark.
- Put your pen on the starting point named by the speaker.
- Move the pen as they move. The tour almost always runs in one continuous route.
- Label as you pass each point rather than trying to reconstruct the route afterwards.
Features already labelled on the map are there to anchor you. The speaker will use them as reference points, so knowing where they are before the audio starts is most of the preparation.
Map, plan & diagram labelling — FAQs
2 questions
Usually letters chosen from a list on the map. Check the instruction — where you are asked to write words, the word limit applies.
Most often Part 2, the monologue about a place or facility.
More listening question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.