IELTS examiners will assess your ability to understand ideas and detailed factual information, which could also mean how opinions can be inferred. Many IELTS test takers find this section difficult to master. The best strategy to succeed in the IELTS Listening test is to familiarize yourself with the test format, prepare for it, and follow simple tips and tricks.

What is the IELTS listening test?

The IELTS test assesses your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. In the IELTS listening test, you are assessed on how well you understand ideas and factual information, recognize the speaker’s opinions, attitudes and goals, and how well you follow the development of an argument. During the test you will listen to a pre-recorded CD-ROM and the recordings you hear will increase in difficulty as you progress through the test. Different voices are used in the IELTS listening test, such as Australian, British, New Zealand and North American accents. The content of the IELTS listening test is the same for academic and general IELTS training. The listening test is completed together with the reading and writing test on the same day, without breaks. We are the Best IELTS Institute in Sirsa.

IELTS Listening Test Format

You will have to listen to four recordings and answer a series of questions – Recording 1 — A conversation between two people set in an everyday social context. Recording 2 — A monologue set in an everyday social context. Recording 3 — A conversation between two to four people in an education or training context. Recording 4 — Monologue on an academic topic. The listening test lasts 30 minutes. At the end, you will have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the prepared answer sheet.

IELTS Listening Assessment Criteria

The computer marks the IELTS listening test and it is later checked by a human examiner for quality. The test contains 40 questions. Each correct answer is evaluated with one mark. The total score out of 40 is then converted to a full or half band score. Wrong answers are not marked negatively.

An example of a raw score and a band score

RAW SCORE BAND SCORE

39-40 9

37-38 8.5

35-36 8

32-34 7.5

IELTS listening tips

Focus on the recordings because you only hear them once.

While the recording is playing, write down all your answers on the question paper.

Use a pencil to write down your answers.

Use shorthand and abbreviations to speed things up and make sure you can read your handwriting as you only have 10 minutes at the end of the test to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet.

Make sure your writing on your answer sheet is neat and accurate.

The synonyms of the words used in the question should be memorized while attempting the answer.

You can write the answers in upper or lower case letters. You must choose, and if you choose to write in capital letters, you must write all answers in capital letters.

Read the instructions below each question carefully to know the word count for each answer.

Avoid spelling mistakes.

Use prepositions whenever necessary.

The question types are — multiple choice, map completion, form completion, note completion, diagram labeling, flowchart completion, sentence completion, summary completion, table completion and short answer questions.

Even if you missed an answer, try to remember all the dates you can because there are no negative marks of any kind. There is no point in leaving any question unanswered.

Keep yourself stress free. If you play too much, you may lose vital data related to your question.

Keep your eyes closed to focus your senses on listening.

How to prepare for IELTS listening?

Listening requires focus, persistence, purpose, and understanding. Take the many IELTS practice tests that are easily available online and work on the six essential skills that are required for the listening test. Prediction – When you look at the questions, you should try to predict the answer before you hear it, as this makes it easier to get the right answer. You can practice this skill by reading the title and any other information related to the speech or conversation you will be listening to and predicting some of the things you might hear. Write them down and check that your answers are correct. Synonyms and Paraphrases — The listening test is also a vocabulary test. Often the answer will not be a direct match to the key words in the question, but a synonym or paraphrase of those words. Practice synonyms and paraphrasing by listening to a short video and thinking about how each sentence could be paraphrased. Practice it regularly! Over time, you will get used to common synonyms that will help you in all parts of the IELTS test. Connected Speech — Connected Speech means joining words and sounds together in a sentence. It is difficult to understand a sentence when it is not clear. Practice by pausing a phrase you don’t understand and playing it back until you have all the words. Sign language recognition — The two recordings of the IELTS listening test will be monologues, one in a social context and one in a lecture style. When someone talks in this way, they often use what is called marking as – this lecture is divided into three parts – “first”, “second”, “then” and “finally”. These phrases will tell you at what stage of the conversation you are listening and what they will say next. Listening to two people talking – Two of the four recordings of the listening test will be a discussion between two people. These people will have different accents, different ways of speaking, and may or may not agree with each other. Listening to two people talking at the same time is a very difficult task, so practice it by listening to recordings of two people having a conversation. Try to note down the necessary details. Note taking – Note taking is essential in our daily life. Practice taking notes by listening to a recording or lecture. Take short notes and then try to transcribe them into general notes.

How to score band 8 in the IELTS listening test?

The following tips will help you get a band 8 score

You have 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheets. So make sure your spelling and answers are grammatically correct.

If your writing is messy, try to capitalize all your answers.

Pay attention to capital letters. If your word is someone’s place or name, capitalize it to make it correct.

Follow the instructions for the word limit. If the question does not include more than three words, do not write more.

Practice IELTS past papers to familiarize yourself with different question types.

Make sure you don’t get fooled. A test will often try to trick you by first giving you something that looks like the correct answer, and later changing it to something else on the record.