IELTS Listening Tips for Test Preparation
Table of Contents
Introduction
IELTS listening test is the same for both IELTS general test and IELTS academic students. In this test, you need to answer 40 different questions from 4 pre recordings. Upon listening to four recordings, you will have to write the important points and answer them as fast as you can. One of the important IELTS listening tips is that you will only have to hear the recording at once in a short time. This will also help you to complete the test in a given short time.
The reason why this test is so hard and important is, you will have to listen to the recording at once. Most of the students waste their time by writing and re-writing the mistakes or guessing the answers during tests and fails them. The correct way to do this is, check for mistakes in the ending 10 minutes. IELTS won’t give you extra time or a second chance to hear the recording so do more practice. The test gets more difficult as the recording progresses.
Luckily, there are some simple steps that you can follow to improve your listening and reading skills. This complete guide will help you to answer all the questions in the end without listening to them for a second time.
In some steps, there are links to free resources available such as browsing synonyms online, IELTS sample test, and listening power examples from the official IELTS documentation.
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General IELTS Listening tips for exams
Here is the list of important IELTS listening tips that you must prepare for your IELTS test.
1. Record & Listen
This is one of the important steps of the IELTS test. You may have heard that in the IELTS listening test, the recording is played just once. You need to fulfill the requirements of the test in the first recording session.
To do best in the first recording, try listening to your recorded voice carefully. If you don’t understand it in the first session, try another time as it’s the practice IELTS session.
Once you have developed the vocabulary and listening skills, turn it to listen to one recording and understand everything at the end.
2. Multi-tasking exam
In IELTS exams, you need to do multiple works at the same time. This includes listening to the recording carefully (once), writing down the keywords, and reading the questions carefully at the same time.
During the IELTS test whether it is reading, listening, or whatever, always write your keywords or questions with a pencil (not pens, or pointers). This will save your time and effort to re-write or correct any mistake.
Again, there will not be another chance to repeat these steps, so practice several times before appearing for the final IELTS listening test.
3. Guess and Fill empty spaces
During the IELTS reading and listening test, never leave any blank spaces in the test. Try to guess the answer and write them with a pencil. Make sure you revise your paragraphs several times before submitting the paper. Sometimes, reading the paragraphs twice gives a sense of what to write in the empty space(s).
By filling the blank spaces, you have the probability of winning the answer. It is no harm to fill the empty spaces you don’t know about. There are chances that your guess is right.
In the end, you can pay more attention to these guesses and try to be the best of them.
4. Use Capital Letters
It is recommended that you write your keywords or important points in CAPITAL letters. That’s what the IELTS British Council Official page says. The capital letters are more attractive and eye-catching to the readers.
It will also help you identify your keywords quickly and replace or correct them accordingly. We recommend you use a led pencil to write the keywords or any replacement to save more time in the end. Once you’re satisfied with the answers, remove any spelling mistakes, over-written keywords, and grammar mistakes with the rubber.
Advance IELTS listening tips for band 9
1. Think in English
Today, all the experts agree to the point that thinking in English has a good impact on your listening skills. What newbies do is they think in their language and then translate it into English. This is wrong and has a negative effect on your listening skills. Because, when you think in a different language, you translate it into English and remember the language’s vocabulary. Translating into English is slower and you will have to remember the translation as well. Try to practice this step, by thinking in English with your favorite topics.
2. Practice in real life:
The English language is not a test or knowledge, it’s about how you interact and behave with each other. When you try to implement it in real life, you will get the most out of it.
The best way to do it to chat, discuss and listen in real life. If your English listening power is still power, try writing and translating some emails, and get into some interview where you can listen to them and answer their questions in English. The more you meet with professionals and start a conversation with them, the more and fast you will learn.
3. Audio Scripts
Audio scripts are an effective tool for studying or preparing for the IELTS listening test. These scripts are usually written for an audio conversation or a call. This script is very beneficial in a number of ways:
- Using this script, you can correct your spelling and grammar mistakes as you write down the recording in the real IELTS test. This will also help you write better from an audio mp3 to your notes without mistakes.
- You can compare your audio with the script to know if it’s the same as we heard it or not.
- This will help you to understand the keywords and use better synonym in the answers.
4. Synonyms
Synonyms play an important role in all parts of the exams whether it is listening, reading, or writing. In speaking and writing tests, you will have to justify how you replaced any synonyms that give a better meaning.
Try finding the synonyms of the important keywords that you highlighted, then replace them in the end. You can use the thesaurus-free tool to find the synonyms while preparing for the IELTS test.
Whereas, in the reading test, the synonyms helps you understand the keywords that you want to use in your answer.
5. Check for mistakes
Mistakes play an important role in accomplishing or failing your IELTS exam. So, always be precise and check for errors and grammar mistakes more and more at the end of the test and correct them by using pencil as we suggested earlier.
One of the best IELTS listening tips is to follow this step at the end of the test and don’t do this during answering the questions. Try to write whatever comes to your mind regarding the answer. In the end, check for errors, capital keywords, and grammar mistakes and replace them.
6. Try to answer by listening once
It’s a real-life rule that you listen to the conversations once and respond very quickly. Remember, IELTS won’t give you a second chance during the test. So, it is better to practice it now.
The best way to do it is to listen to the topics you love the most. Then try to write what you’ve listened to in the audio. It is very important that you tone this practice to one hour as the IELTS test won’t give you extra time. Repeat the practice with 10-15 essays or stories.
How to conduct an IELTS practice test?
There is a number of online IELTS sample tests available for you to judge or estimate your score. After the preparation, do not go to the IELTS test directly without completing a sample test. This will not take more than 2-4 hours to appear in the sample tests.
Here are some of our recommendations for IELTS test online:
- IELTS preparation online (with video help)
- Free IELTS practice test (by British Council)
- IELTS practice test (Official)
- IELTS Mock test
Conclusion
To perform better in the IELTS listening exam, you will have to think in English, listen to audio scripts, communicate in real life, and think in English. The most important point is, try to answer the questions by listening once because IELTS will never give you the second chance during the test.
In the end, we will recommend you to learn and perform it in the practice test before appearing in the IELTS exams. You can also practice both IELTS reading and listening one after the other.
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