The following IELTS listening tips will help you get the Listening band score you deserve by warning you of possible pitfalls that can cause you to loose marks.
Listen carefully to what the invigilator says. The instructions given are important and if not followed could, in the worst case, result in a candidate being disqualified. Repeatedly opening question papers before being told to do so or continuing to write after being told to stop could cause this.
As explained in the Listening module page, the answer and question papers will be given out and then the recording will be tested. It is essential that you listen carefully and, if you cannot hear the recording clearly, tell the invigilator. Do not wait until the test has started because, once started, the recording cannot be stopped.
IELTS Listening Tips
1. Keep all your concentration on listening carefully for the half hour or so that the test lasts. Slip of concentration can make you lose the sequence of answers and panic sets in fast.
2. The test has four sections. Sections 1 and 3 are dialogues and sections 2 and 4 are monologues. There are 40 questions to be answered and the test lasts for 30 minutes. Ten minutes will be given at the end of the test to jot down your answers on answer sheet.
3. Pay particular attention to the dialogues sections (Sections 1 and 3).
4. At the beginning of each section of the recording, time is provided to read the questions. Use this time to read the questions concerning to that section (the voice on the tape tells you how many questions to read). Time is also provided at the end of each section to check your answers. Use this time to read the questions for the next section.
5. Read the questions carefully. If the query says mark the answer as A, B, C or D on the answer sheet, make sure you don't write the phrase that A, B, C or D correspond to. Just write A, B, C or D. If the question specifies that you must not use more than three words in your answer, writing 4 words will get you no marks for that question.
6. The answers usually appear in the conversation in the same order as the questions.
7. The speakers often correct themselves. They will say something in the beginning and then change the statement. For example, "we will go to Lahore" is said first and then "No, let's make it Karachi". The correct answer is the final statement i.e. Karachi and not Lahore. Be careful about like these tricks.
8. If you miss an answer, don't panic. Keep listening for the next answer.
9. Write your answer instantly on the question sheet instantly. Don't try to remember the answers to write on the answer sheet. The ten minutes provided at the end of the test are quite sufficient to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
Make the most of your Listening test:
Listen carefully to the recording
The recording is played only once and there are no repetitions, so don't let your attention wander. All instructions and pauses are on the recording so if, for example, the recording said "You now have half a minute to check your answers", it would be followed by half a minute of silence.
The listening test consists of 4 sections. Before each section you are given time to read the questions but don't read them too slowly or the recording will start before you have finished. It is important that you read the instructions, as well as the questions, carefully. Failure to do so could result in an incorrect answer even though you understood the question. For example, answering with four words when the instructions are to use three will result in your answer being marked wrong.
When listening for the answer to a question, be aware of the following questions. That way, if you miss the answer to a particular question you are more likely to notice when the answer to a later question is given and you are less likely to find yourself lost.
Sometimes the speaker can be quite vague or change their mind. Always be alert to subsequent clarifications or changes of mind which, if missed, could result in you giving the wrong answer.
When you write your answer in the question booklet be sure to write clearly so that youcan read it when you come to transfer it to the answer sheet. If you make a mistake when transferring it, it will be marked wrong.
After each section you are given time to check your answers. As soon as you have done this, make use of the time remaining to start looking at the questions for the next section. This will give you a head start.
Transferring you answers
At the end of the last section you are given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. During this time you will still receive recorded time checks and instructions. If you are using headphones, keep them on. The final instruction will tell you to stop writing. Be sure to stop immediately or you may be accused of cheating and risk disqualification.
In practice, 10 minutes is sufficient time to transfer your answers. However, if you failed to answer all the questions, it is best to transfer those you have managed to answer before going back and trying to answer those you haven't. Be very careful to transfer the question to the correct number, it is easy to make a mistake if you have missed some answers. Also, pay careful attention to spelling as incorrectly spelt answers will be marked wrong. Write clearly, if the examiner can't read your answer it will be marked wrong.
Each correct answer gets the same mark and an incorrect or missing answer gets no mark. This means you do not lose marks for incorrect answers and should try to guess those questions you haven't answered. Each answer you guess correctly will gain an extra mark. Guessing is particularly important for questions with limited options, e.g. 'Yes', 'No', 'Not Given' questions, as the probability of guessing right is quite high.
Listen carefully to what the invigilator says. The instructions given are important and if not followed could, in the worst case, result in a candidate being disqualified. Repeatedly opening question papers before being told to do so or continuing to write after being told to stop could cause this.
As explained in the Listening module page, the answer and question papers will be given out and then the recording will be tested. It is essential that you listen carefully and, if you cannot hear the recording clearly, tell the invigilator. Do not wait until the test has started because, once started, the recording cannot be stopped.
IELTS Listening Tips
1. Keep all your concentration on listening carefully for the half hour or so that the test lasts. Slip of concentration can make you lose the sequence of answers and panic sets in fast.
2. The test has four sections. Sections 1 and 3 are dialogues and sections 2 and 4 are monologues. There are 40 questions to be answered and the test lasts for 30 minutes. Ten minutes will be given at the end of the test to jot down your answers on answer sheet.
3. Pay particular attention to the dialogues sections (Sections 1 and 3).
4. At the beginning of each section of the recording, time is provided to read the questions. Use this time to read the questions concerning to that section (the voice on the tape tells you how many questions to read). Time is also provided at the end of each section to check your answers. Use this time to read the questions for the next section.
5. Read the questions carefully. If the query says mark the answer as A, B, C or D on the answer sheet, make sure you don't write the phrase that A, B, C or D correspond to. Just write A, B, C or D. If the question specifies that you must not use more than three words in your answer, writing 4 words will get you no marks for that question.
6. The answers usually appear in the conversation in the same order as the questions.
7. The speakers often correct themselves. They will say something in the beginning and then change the statement. For example, "we will go to Lahore" is said first and then "No, let's make it Karachi". The correct answer is the final statement i.e. Karachi and not Lahore. Be careful about like these tricks.
8. If you miss an answer, don't panic. Keep listening for the next answer.
9. Write your answer instantly on the question sheet instantly. Don't try to remember the answers to write on the answer sheet. The ten minutes provided at the end of the test are quite sufficient to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
Make the most of your Listening test:
- if you cannot hear the audio clearly, let a member of staff know straightaway
- follow the instructions carefully; they may be different to practice or previous tests
- listen for the specific information you want
- try and anticipate what the speaker will say; this will require concentration
- do not worry if there is a word you do not understand; you may not need to use it
- if you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move quickly onto the next one
- be careful with your spelling and grammar
- do not panic if you think the topic is too difficult or the speaker is too fast; relax and tune in
- read, write and listen at the same time
- focus precisely on what you are asked to do in completion type questions
- pay attention to the word limit; for example, if you are asked to complete a sentence using no more than two words, if the correct answer is ‘leather coat’, the answer ‘coat made of leather’ would be incorrect
- if the question asks you to complete the note ‘in the…’ and the correct answer is ‘morning’, note that ‘in the morning’ would be incorrect; the correct answer is 'morning'
- attempt all questions; there are no penalties for incorrect answers
- check your answers
Listen carefully to the recording
The recording is played only once and there are no repetitions, so don't let your attention wander. All instructions and pauses are on the recording so if, for example, the recording said "You now have half a minute to check your answers", it would be followed by half a minute of silence.
The listening test consists of 4 sections. Before each section you are given time to read the questions but don't read them too slowly or the recording will start before you have finished. It is important that you read the instructions, as well as the questions, carefully. Failure to do so could result in an incorrect answer even though you understood the question. For example, answering with four words when the instructions are to use three will result in your answer being marked wrong.
When listening for the answer to a question, be aware of the following questions. That way, if you miss the answer to a particular question you are more likely to notice when the answer to a later question is given and you are less likely to find yourself lost.
Sometimes the speaker can be quite vague or change their mind. Always be alert to subsequent clarifications or changes of mind which, if missed, could result in you giving the wrong answer.
When you write your answer in the question booklet be sure to write clearly so that youcan read it when you come to transfer it to the answer sheet. If you make a mistake when transferring it, it will be marked wrong.
After each section you are given time to check your answers. As soon as you have done this, make use of the time remaining to start looking at the questions for the next section. This will give you a head start.
Transferring you answers
At the end of the last section you are given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. During this time you will still receive recorded time checks and instructions. If you are using headphones, keep them on. The final instruction will tell you to stop writing. Be sure to stop immediately or you may be accused of cheating and risk disqualification.
In practice, 10 minutes is sufficient time to transfer your answers. However, if you failed to answer all the questions, it is best to transfer those you have managed to answer before going back and trying to answer those you haven't. Be very careful to transfer the question to the correct number, it is easy to make a mistake if you have missed some answers. Also, pay careful attention to spelling as incorrectly spelt answers will be marked wrong. Write clearly, if the examiner can't read your answer it will be marked wrong.
Each correct answer gets the same mark and an incorrect or missing answer gets no mark. This means you do not lose marks for incorrect answers and should try to guess those questions you haven't answered. Each answer you guess correctly will gain an extra mark. Guessing is particularly important for questions with limited options, e.g. 'Yes', 'No', 'Not Given' questions, as the probability of guessing right is quite high.