IELTS table completion: how to fill in the gaps
Table completion asks you to fill gaps in a grid using words or numbers from the recording (or passage), within a stated word limit such as "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER". Use the row and column headings to predict what kind of answer each gap needs — a name, a price, a time — before you listen or read.
How to answer
- •Read the column and row headings first: they tell you whether a gap is a number, a date, a material, and so on.
- •Predict the grammar and type of each answer, then listen or scan for it.
- •Copy the answer exactly and stay within the word limit. Over-length answers are marked wrong even if the extra words are correct.
Spelling and numbers
In Listening, spelling counts. If a name is spelled out, write exactly those letters.
Numbers can be written as digits. A range said as "three to five" may need the form the word limit allows, e.g. "3-5".
Frequently asked questions
Does a hyphenated word count as one or two words?
A hyphenated compound such as "co-working" counts as a single word for the word limit.
Can I write numbers as digits in table completion?
Yes. Writing 15 instead of "fifteen" is accepted and is safer within a tight word limit.
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