IELTS Listening Preparation (Part 1)

The IELTS Listening test is the same (question types and difficulty) for both Academic and General Training test-takers. The Listening test measures your ability that how well you understand spoken English in various real-life situations. So, no matter the type of IELTS test you are taking (GT or Academic), you will be assessed with the same types of questions with the same difficulty level.

In the Listening test, you will listen to 4 audio recordings, with generally 10 questions in each section. The questions are ordered in the same manner as the information provided in the recording, therefore the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on. The recordings might include various accents, like British, New Zealand, Australian, Canadian or American, to cater for the international usage of IELTS.

The Sections of the Listening Test Format:

Recording 1: A conversation between two people within a social or everyday context, like accommodation or shopping. 

Recording 2: A monologue based on a social or everyday context, providing practical information about daily living. 

Recording 3: A conversation between two or more people within an educational and training context, such as a student assignment or a lecture. 

Recording 4: A monologue usually based on an academic subject, for example, a university lecture or a presentation.

For each section, you are provided with a set of questions and a short period of time to read and understand the questions before listening to the conversation or monologue. As you listen to the recording, you are required to answer the questions by choosing the correct answer, completing sentences, filling in the gaps and so on. Later in this article, we will learn more about the types of questions you are likely to get in your Listening test.

Each section gets more difficult as the test progresses and is a similar length. Each audio is played only once. So listen attentively. The test is approximately 30 minutes long and you will get another 10 minutes to transfer answers from the question booklet to the answer sheet.
 

Some simple Tips to Follow:

You should practice so that you understand both monologues and conversations by multiple people. Without getting used to listening to different types of talks, you may find it difficult to understand and answer when you take the IELTS Listening test.

1. Practise so that you understand different types of English accents. In your IELTS Listening test, you will have a variety of English accents. If you do not listen to them regularly before you take the test, you may find it difficult to understand some accents.

2. You should be very careful about your spelling. Any incorrect spelling will cost you marks. Even if your answer is accurate but your spelling is not, you will not be given any marks for the answer.

3. If your answer is grammatically incorrect, it will be marked as wrong. The grammar is also important in the IELTS Listening test. Write answers that are grammatically accurate.

4. You ought to take short pauses to move on to the next part of the test. It will give you some time to get used to the new conversion.

5. You should try to predict the answer before you hear the audio clip. This is one of the most important tips that we can share with you. As you can read the question before you begin to listen to the conversation, you know what type of information you need to hear in order to answer a question. Practice this tip, and you are guaranteed to score higher.

6. You ought to read the instructions with painstaking care. You should always read the instruction carefully and adhere to the instruction. For instance, if the instruction says that your answer should not be more than 3 words, you must follow this instruction. Otherwise, your answer will be incorrect.

7. If you develop your vocabulary, then you will enhance your listening score. A rich vocabulary helps you understand the talks and write the answers accurately.

8. You should get used to listening to a recording only once. This is because when you take the IELTS Listening test, you will listen to the recording only once. There is no way you can request to repeat a conversation or a part of a conversation.

9. Practice daily for a couple of hours rather than practising for several hours per day only before the exam. Research shows that everyday practice for a couple of hours produces far better results than the other approach.
 

IELTS Listening Test Question Types:

The IELTS Listening test includes different types of questions, and knowing about them and how to answer each type of question will prepare you to score higher.

Question Types:

• Multiple Choice 
• completing Forms/Notes 
• Short Answer Questions 
• Sentence Completion 
• Matching 
• Table Completion 
• Labelling a Map/Plan 
• Summary Completion 

The diverse range of question types means that you often need to write the answers on your answer sheet instead of simply selecting the correct answers from four choices as you do when you have only multiple-choice type questions. This is crucial because in such cases, you are also required to spell correctly or the answers will be marked as incorrect. If the answer, for instance, is "cats" and you write 'cat', it may be marked as incorrect. You also need to make sure that you write the right information. To illustrate, if the answer is "white cat" and you write only 'cat', you may also lose marks.
 

Question Type # 1: Multiple Choice

In multiple choice question type, you will hear a series of recorded monologues, dialogues, or conversations, and answer questions by choosing the right answer from a set of given options (usually from 4 choices). There are three different kinds of multiple-choice listening questions. They include: 

• Short Answer 
• Sentence Completion  
• Matching Picture 

Common Problems with this question type: 
You may encounter several common issues while answering multiple-choice-type questions. Being aware of these problems, you can overcome these mistakes. The most common problems are:

Issue 1:  In the recording, often, all of the choices will be mentioned, not just the correct one. So, do not select the first one you listen to, and assume that this is the correct answer. Rather try to understand which is the correct answer and why.

Issue 2:  The answers will usually be paraphrased which makes it hard to find. 

Issue 3:  The three options often seem similar in meaning.

Issue 4:  You have to read a lot of information and pay great concentration on the audio clip at the same time. 

Issue 5:  Tips for Multiple Choice Question Type:

Tips for answering multiple-choice question types:
The following tips will help you to maximize your score in Multiple Choice Questions. It has been formulated to help you understand how to answer the questions quickly and accurately:

Tip 1:  Pay attention to the keywords. The keyword in the question will guide you to find the correct answer. The keywords in the different choices are the ones that create different meanings between the options.

Tip 2:  Don’t choose the first option you hear. Keep in mind that the question might try to trick you. 

Tip 3:  Don’t spend excessive time on a single question. If you don’t know the answer and are unsure, then make your educated guess and proceed.  

Tip 4:  Be cautious when you hear words like ‘but’ or ‘however’. These words often indicate that the speaker will add more details or alter what they previously said. 

Tip 5: Your answer will often be a letter, not a complete word. Therefore, you should read the instructions carefully and be cautious when transferring your answer at the end of the test. 
 

Strategy for Multiple Choice Question Type:
The following strategies will help you to achieve a high score in Multiple Choice Questions: 

Strategy 1:  Read the instructions meticulously. 

Strategy 2:  Read the question carefully and figure out what they are actually asking for. Highlight the keyword in the question. 

Strategy 3:  Take a look at the different options and underline any keywords that will help you to distinguish the difference in meaning. 

Strategy 4:  Think about synonyms and paraphrases that you might hear. 

Strategy 5:  Try to predict the answer in advance. 

Strategy 6:  When you are listening, listen carefully for important words and synonyms. 

Strategy 7:  Don’t write the first answer you hear. The speaker may discuss multiple options. So, wait until the speaker has talked about all the options and then answer. Be cautious with the answers that are initially given by the speaker but then changed or taken away. 

Strategy 8:  If you think an answer is correct, mark it with a tick and keep listening to confirm. 

Strategy 9:  Don’t spend more time than needed. If you are confused with an answer, make a good guess and move on without getting stuck.