How to create a listening test online

Discover how to design online listening exams with interactive audio tasks, structured delivery, and secure, fair evaluation.
June, 2025

An online listening test can be built by combining audio with interactive question types. After adding your audio clips, you can choose how candidates will respond, whether by selecting an answer, writing a response, or matching items. You can also control how the audio is played and how candidates move through the test. Once the structure is in place, the test can be delivered securely with flexible evaluation options to match your goals.

Key takeaways

  • Listening tests measure real-time comprehension of spoken language.
    • You can create listening questions using any question type, including multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, or open-ended responses.
      • Audio clips can be added by uploading files or linking URLs and are stored for reuse in the History panel.
        • A single audio clip can support multiple related questions, helping assess various comprehension skills with one source.
          • Customize how candidates interact with audio, including pause, rewind, navigation restrictions, and play count limits.
            • Choose the appropriate scoring method based on the question type, including automated scoring, text-matching rules, rubrics, or AI-based evaluation.
              • Apply time limits, question randomization, and security settings like browser lockdown and proctoring to prevent cheating.

                What is a listening test?

                A listening test is an assessment that evaluates a person's ability to understand spoken language. It simply involves listening to audio recordings and answering questions based on what was heard. A listening test can include various types of questions, such as multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, or open-ended questions.

                Listening tests typically assess listening comprehension skills, understanding the speaker's intent or tone, recognizing specific information and interpreting context and implied meaning. They are commonly used in language proficiency exams, recruitment processes and academic assessments.

                Sample listening test
                Sample listening test

                Steps to create a listening test

                You can start by structuring your listening test into sections and pages that reflect the type of listening tasks you want to assess. For example, you might begin with an audio clip followed by multiple choice questions, and continue with another clip that includes open-ended questions.

                With TestInvite’s exam creator, you can design a listening test that fits your specific goals. Whether you're evaluating general listening comprehension, professional communication, or language proficiency, you have full control over the test structure, audio playback settings, response types, and scoring criteria.

                Add listening questions

                You can create listening questions using various formats, such as:

                • Multiple choice
                  • Matching
                    • Short answer
                      • Long answer
                        • Fill-in-the-blank

                          Listening questions can be designed with any question type, depending on your needs.

                          For example, participants can respond with a long open-ended text, select an option from multiple choices, complete a matching task, or even record and upload their own audio responses.

                          Question editor displaying question formats
                          Question editor displaying question formats

                          Add audio clips

                          You can add audio clips by:

                          • Uploading a file from your device.
                            • Entering the URL of an existing clip.

                              All added audio clips are stored in the History and can be reaccessed at any time.

                              Screen for uploading audio or entering URL 
                              Screen for uploading audio or entering URL 

                              Ask a set of questions following an audio clip

                              It is also possible to ask multiple questions based on one audio clip. You can design a sequence of related questions that follow a single audio clip. This can allow you to evaluate different aspects of listening comprehension.

                              Example of an audio prompt followed by multiple questions
                              Example of an audio prompt followed by multiple questions

                              Limit pausing, navigation, and replay count

                              You can customize how candidates interact with audio clips during the test.

                              • Allow pause: Lets candidates pause the audio playback.
                                • Allow navigation: Allows them to move forward and backward within the audio clip.
                                  • Restrict navigation: Prevents rewinding or skipping ahead, so they must listen in sequence.
                                    • Limit listening count: To control how many times a clip can be played, disable forward-backward navigation and choose a limit from "Unlimited" down to a maximum of 10 plays.
                                      Audio playback settings with pause, navigation, and attempt limit.
                                      Audio playback settings with pause, navigation, and attempt limit.

                                      Choose the evaluation method

                                      You can choose the most suitable scoring method for each listening question, depending on the question type. This ensures each response is assessed in a way that fits its format and purpose.

                                      Automated scoring

                                      Automated scoring is suited for objective question types like multiple choice, true/false, and matching. The system instantly checks answers against predefined correct responses and calculates scores automatically.

                                      Multiple choice question editor with toggle switches to mark correct answers for automated scoring
                                      Multiple choice question editor with toggle switches to mark correct answers for automated scoring

                                      Quick evaluation with text rules

                                      For short, open-ended responses, you can use automated rules to evaluate answers instantly and objectively. In the automation section, you can define conditions such as:

                                      • Should match: The answer must contain the given text.
                                        • Should not match: The answer must not contain the given text.

                                          These rules help automate the evaluation of short answers without the need for manual review.

                                          Field settings with input validation options
                                          Field settings with input validation options

                                          Rubric-based evaluation

                                          Rubrics provide a structured and consistent way to assess longer open-ended or subjective responses. You can define specific evaluation criteria and assign weights to reflect their importance. Multiple rubric formats are supported:

                                          • Percentage selection: Fixed scores per performance level (e.g., Excellent = 100%).
                                            • Percentage custom selection: Score intervals that vary by level (e.g., Fair = 50–65%).
                                              • Percentage input: Manual entry of a specific percentage score.
                                                • Percentage interval input: Choose from predefined score ranges like High (85–100%) or Moderate (60–84%).
                                                  Rubric evaluator preview showing performance levels with percentage weights and scores
                                                  Rubric evaluator preview showing performance levels with percentage weights and scores

                                                  AI-based evaluation

                                                  AI-based evaluation allows you to simplify the assessment of longer written responses by automatically reviewing the quality and meaning of the text. Instead of manually scoring each essay, the system uses advanced language understanding to interpret the response and generate consistent scores across key dimensions.

                                                  Prevent cheating

                                                  • Time limits: You can set a time limit for the entire test or apply different time limits to specific sections and pages. This helps guide the candidate's pace, maintain test flow, and minimize opportunities for external help.
                                                    Test screen displaying overall time limit with separate timers for sections and pages
                                                    Test screen displaying overall time limit with separate timers for sections and pages
                                                    • Systematic randomization: Randomization helps you deliver a unique test experience to each candidate while reducing the risk of answer sharing. This can be achieved by using composites, which allow you to randomize questions within a structured group.
                                                      Question randomization setting with disable and activate options
                                                      Question randomization setting with disable and activate options
                                                      • Proctoring: You can enable proctoring to monitor candidate behavior through webcam, microphone, screen and AI tools, either in real time or via recorded sessions. This helps ensure test integrity by detecting and addressing suspicious activity.
                                                        • Browser lockdown: Lockdown browser restricts access to other websites, applications, and system functions. It creates a controlled environment that prevents participants from navigating away from the exam screen.
                                                          Proctoring settings panel showing webcam recording, screen recording, and lockdown mode options with features
                                                          Proctoring settings panel showing webcam recording, screen recording, and lockdown mode options with features

                                                          When to use listening questions

                                                          • To measure how well someone understands a spoken language.
                                                            • To evaluate candidates for roles that require listening and responding accurately.
                                                              • To test comprehension of audio-based learning material.
                                                                • To assess skills such as following instructions, understanding tone, emotion, and implied meaning and recognizing bias or point of view in spoken content.

                                                                  What are the advantages of listening tests?

                                                                  Listening tests reflect how people process and understand spoken information in real time. They also evaluate essential language skills such as understanding accents, intonation, speech pace, and contextual meaning. Listening tests help determine a person's ability to engage in spoken interaction.

                                                                  What are the disadvantages of listening tests?

                                                                  If proper precautions are not taken, performance in listening tests can be negatively affected by factors such as background noise or poor audio quality. Also, since listening happens in real time, participants may struggle to keep up or feel stressed.

                                                                  Tips

                                                                  • Identify what skills or knowledge you want to assess.
                                                                    • Mix multiple-choice, true/false, short answer, essay, and matching questions to assess different skills.
                                                                      • Allocate enough time per question type.
                                                                        • Include clear instructions to reduce confusion and stress.
                                                                          Go Back

                                                                          Talk to a representative

                                                                          Figure out if TestInvite is a good match for your organization