What Is Fill in the Blanks (Listening)?

You see a transcript of the recording with several words removed. As you listen, you type the missing words into the blanks. The words must be spelled exactly as spoken. Each blank contains exactly one word.

Scoring

Contributes to both Listening and Writing scores. Each correctly spelled word = 1 point.

Strategies

• Preview the transcript before the audio. Identify blanks and predict the type of word (noun, verb, adjective) from context.
• Write immediately as you hear each blank — do not wait until the audio ends.
• Spelling counts: “recieve” for “receive” scores zero. Practice common academic word spellings.
• If you miss a word, do not stop listening — move to the next blank; you can’t rewind.
• Use context to reconstruct partially heard words: if you heard “environ—” and the sentence is about ecology, write “environmental.”

High-Frequency Word Categories

• Academic nouns: hypothesis, phenomenon, criterion, emphasis, regime
• Academic verbs: demonstrate, indicate, establish, acquire, sustain, illustrate
• Numbers, dates, and percentages — listen carefully for these

Quick Reference

Number of items	2–3 per test
Skills assessed	Listening + Writing
Key requirement	Exact spelling required