IELTS Listening Test: Best Tips To Begin With

IELTS listening test is an important part of IELTS Exam. Having a good IELTS listening score helps you increase your overall IELTS average score. In countries like Canada, the USA, Ireland, England, etc. the primarily-used language is English. These countries have so much to offer in terms of education and career. In order to reap these benefits, you need to communicate with the companies, the locals, and the organic market. Fluency is important during such communications as you need to convey your capabilities and understand their requirements to find the perfect fit.

That is why the British council and IDP conduct the IELTS tests. Today, we will discuss the IELTS listening test in particular. This portion of the test evaluates your skills in listening and comprehending the language in different accents. So, we will discuss some tips to help you prepare for this test to achieve a good band score.

What is the IELTS Listening Test?

The IELTS listening test is a 40-minute exam during which you listen to recordings of native English speakers and answer subsequent questions. The examiner will play 4 different recordings.

1. The first one is usually a conversation between 2 native English speakers. You must follow the short conversation and note the key points that they discuss. The topic for this conversation is mainstream, therefore it is fairly easy to understand and remember.
2. The second recording is of an individual who speaks about a specific product or service. He/she will share the details about the subject and you need to bear them in mind. This recording also focuses on general topics, therefore it is easy to comprehend and follow.
3. The third recording is a conversation among 3 – 4 native English speakers. Now, this may pose a bit of a challenge as you need to follow each one’s opinion on the subject. Make a note of the key points when they speak. You also need to pay attention to their intonations and understand their emotions as they state their dialogues. The topic is usually in the academic or professional stream so they will share facts and data on the subject as well. It is a great way to introduce you to the classroom or office scenario in a foreign country where important conversations will take place.
4. The fourth recording is a monologue about an academic or professional topic. The speaker will again share some important facts and data and you must take note of them. The monologue will be delivered with some emotional context. You must try to understand how the speaker is depicting the subject and the emotions that they convey.

Now that you know what to expect in the IELTS listening test, let us discuss the best practices to prepare for it.

How to prepare for IELTS listening task?

As we have said before, much of the difficulties in the IELTS listening task arises due to the unfamiliar accents of native English speakers. Therefore the first thing you need to do is get accustomed to listening and understanding their conversations and speeches.

You can follow these steps to improve your IELTS listening proficiency and prepare for the IELTS listening test:

1. Start by watching Ted Talks, educational programs, native news channels, etc. with subtitles.
2. Once you are familiar with the sounds in different accents, watch them without subtitles.
3. Then switch over to listening to English podcasts. This will help you focus your attention on the listening part, rather than watching or reading.
4. Make it a point to note down important facts and data that they share.
5. Improve your vocabulary. Learn at least 3 – 5 words every day in the beginning. Then move on to learn 5 – 8 words a day.
6. Make a habit of jotting down the words that you don’t understand. Look them up in a dictionary or online.
7. Learn the synonyms for common words.
8. Listen to native English speakers with all the significant accents such as American, British, Irish, and Australian. Start with the British accent as it is the most difficult to master. The Australian, Irish, and American accents are fairly easy to understand after that.
9. Learn the idioms, common phrases, commonly-used jargon, and general terminologies in the English language. It will help you understand the facts and data more efficiently.
10. Know the kind of questions that might be featured in the test. Usually, the IELTS listening test comprises of Multiple-choice questions, short answers, mapping, labelling, and completing tables, flow charts, forms, etc.

These IELTS listening tips will surely help you follow the conversations and monologues during the IELTS listening task. Now let us focus our attention on how to conquer the overall IELTS listening test to achieve a high band score.

How to get a 7+ band score on your IELTS listening test?

As you know, the IELTS listening test is 30 – 40 minutes long for the computer-based test and paper-based test respectively. The examiner plays 4 recordings one after the other. You will be provided with a set of questions based on these recordings. You need to answer these questions on the separate answer sheet for evaluation. The paper-based IELTS listening test allots an additional 10 minutes (a total of 40 minutes) during which you can copy the answers to your answer sheet.

Here are some techniques you can follow during the IELTS paper-based test to achieve a high score:

1. Read the questions before the examiner starts playing the recordings.
2. You must not try to write the answers while the examiner is playing the recordings. Instead, pay attention to the details at this time.
3. Make quick notes of the key points on your question sheet with a pencil, not a pen.
4. Note the answers for multiple-choice, mapping, labels, and completing charts, forms, and tables on the question set.
5. Transfer the answers to the answer sheet within 8 minutes so that you have some additional time to review. The best way to do so is by taking as many practice tests as you can to improve your speed of writing.
6. Pay attention to the word count mentioned for each question.
7. The score is based on the correct answers in the correct syntax. Therefore, you must pay close attention to spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.

For the computer-based IELTS listening test, you will only be allowed 30 minutes to listen to the recordings and simultaneously answer the questions. You will have 2 extra minutes to review your answers before submission. You will have to answer all 40 questions while you listen to the recordings.

Some questions such as completing tables and flow charts will require you to drag and drop the answers. Multiple-choice questions are also fairly easy as you only need to select the right answer. The only problem that candidates usually face is the short-answer portion. It is ideal to start practising speed-typing while you listen. This will help you complete sentences or short answers in less time.

Preparing for the IELTS listening test is easier with a mentor. They can guide you through the different types of questions and provide quick tips to complete the exam efficiently. You can contact Leap Scholar where they have a dedicated team of counsellors and mentors to help you achieve a high score in the IELTS test. You can speak to these expert advisors about the challenges you face during the IELTS listening task. They will provide a personalized plan to help you acquire proficiency in the English language and ace the test.

You can contact Leap Scholar on +91 84219 39943 or +91 9019 73412.

To know about IELTS reading task, read here.