The IELTS Listening section is the same in both general and academic training exams. It lasts for 30 minutes and includes 40 questions that are split into 4 parts. Questions tend to get more complicated as you progress through the test. You need to answer 30 questions correctly to get band 7, or 35 questions to get an 8. Sounds a bit tough, doesn’t it? However, if you learn how to manage your time effectively during the exam, and what mistakes to avoid, you will be able to answer more questions regardless of the version of the exam you are planning to take: paper or computer-based.
Not knowing the format of the Listening test
Candidates very often waste their time and lose points just because they do not know what to do, what to look at, where to write their answers etc. In order to avoid this, during your preparation make sure you learn:
- how many questions you have to answer. The number of questions is the same in both modules.
- how to switch between the four parts of the test. For example, in a paper version, you have to turn the page as well as in the newest computer-based version.
- how to find where the questions are;
- what the questions look like;
- how to take notes or highlight important information. In the paper exam, you can underline the keywords and make some notes with your pencil. In the computer-based test, you use the highlighting tool or leave notes by typing.
- how to answer the questions. In IELTS Listening there are several types of questions that usually appear in different parts of the test, e.g. multiple-choice, matching, note completion, labeling, etc.
You can learn all of these things in our online self-study IELTS Academic preparation course. We will take you through all types of tasks step by step, teach you tips and useful strategies, and give you immediate feedback.
It is advisable to practice doing past papers and mock exams, which is also a part of our self-study course.
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Not following the instructions
You never know exactly what information you will need to answer the questions. For the questions like form-filling, for example, you need to listen carefully for things like names, dates, time, or other details. For multiple-choice questions, you have to understand the general idea of the conversation. Not following the instructions might cost you too much. To avoid this, there are a few steps to do before you start listening to the recording:
- Make sure you read the instructions and the task carefully to work out what exactly you have to listen for.
- Spend some time studying the information given to you.
- Try to predict the answers.
- Listen to the instructions.
What happens if you do not follow these steps? For example, you might be asked to circle more than one answer. If you circle only one, the answer will be incomplete, i.e. incorrect. Do exactly what the instructions say. In the other case, the instructions can tell you how many words you should write in the answer, e.g. ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND / OR A NUMBER’. It is highly recommended to read the word-count instructions very carefully. If the instruction says ONE word and you write ‘the gym’, the answer will be marked as incorrect, even though ‘gym’ is the correct word.
READ ABOUT: Key facts you need to know about the IELTS Listening test
Ignoring the keywords and signpost words
It is true that you have to know and apply a certain strategy for answering each type of question in the IELTS Listening section. Poor skills in particular question types create a huge challenge to IELTS candidates in labeling maps, for example. If you are unfamiliar with this question type, it will be really difficult to get the right answer. The best solution is to understand all the question types and learn strategies on how to answer them. We cover and practice using all strategies in our online course.
Similarly, it is important to pay attention to the keywords. How does it work? You will have some time to read the questions before listening to the audio passage. Look for keywords in the questions, underline them and listen to them carefully in the passage. This will not only give you the idea of what the passage is going to be about but help you not to lose focus while listening to longer conversations or a lecture.
Losing focus is a real problem for many students and candidates: this can happen at specific places, and they miss important information for the following questions. However, you can avoid this problem if you listen for signpost words as well. These are the words the speakers use to indicate the different stages of the talk. For example, if the speaker wants to compare two things or talk about something different, you might hear ‘On the one hand / on the other hand’, ‘Another point to consider is…’, ‘However,…’, etc. When he or she is summarizing information, you might hear ‘Finally’, or ‘To summarize…’, ‘Lastly’, etc.
You will know what information is coming next, and this will help you follow what the speaker is talking about.
READ ABOUT: How are IELTS Listening and Reading scores calculated?
Not checking your answers
In IELTS paper-based test, you will write your answers on question sheets, and then you will get extra ten minutes to transfer your answers into the answer sheet. If you take a computer-based exam, you answer directly on the screen, so you do not need those ten minutes. You will have only two. In the computer-delivered test, the questions you have answered will be highlighted.
Make sure you do not leave any blank spaces. In IELTS Listening you do not lose marks for wrong replies. The power of probability can be applied by guessing where there is a possibility that the supposed answers might be right.
Check your spelling. If you make spelling mistakes, your answer counts as the wrong one and you do not get any points for it. Make sure you can spell commonly used words correctly, e.g. library, environment, street, avenue, professor, names of city or country or address, etc.
Check your grammar. Pay attention to singular and plural nouns, verb forms. The sentences always have to be grammatically correct. For example:
- The company is hiring university graduates.
- NOT: The company is hiring university graduate. (‘A graduate’ is the correct use of a singular noun)
In the note completion questions, read the sentence to see if it is grammatically correct. This is how you can check yourself.
The last but not least, make sure you put the right answers in the right place. This might happen when candidates do a paper-based test and transfer their answers to the answer sheet. It’s always good to double-check.
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