Top 10 Listening Tips for IELTS

I consider Listening module as the easiest one in IELTS. Yes! It is possible to Score 9 Bands in IELTS Listening even though you aren’t a native speaker. Here are top 10 strategies for IELTS Listening test which can get you a higher band score or even 9 bands.

1. Work on your listening skills:

Your recording will be played once only. Practicing listening test is not enough. Practice test can make you familiar with the test format, but cannot improve your listening skills. For that, I recommend listening podcasts, watch documentaries, English series, Tedtalks, or may be NETFLIX. Such activities will also boost your confidence.

2. Expand your vocabulary:

Word building is a lifelong process. It is always beneficial to add new words in our existing word bank. Become familiar with the words that are related to academic situation as many listening audios will be related to University.

3. Write answers in capital letters:

Capitalization matters! I recommend using only capital letters if you are unsure about the rules of capitalization. Verbs never start with the capital letter, but proper noun starts with capital letters. Also, we somehow have the habit of filling the blank with first letter capital; whereas, the blank is given in the middle of the sentence. So, write all the answers in capital letters only to avoid any deduction in score.

4. Read the instructions carefully:

In every section, there will be the instructions given on the question paper. It is not only important to read the instructions carefully, but also to respect them. If it says, ‘no more than three words or numbers’ than exceeding the word count may hamper your overall score. Abbreviations are counted as words. For example: 3 a.m. are counted as three words.

5. Check for spellings:

With the penetration of SMS, people have lost their grip on writing correct spellings. I suggest writing full words while chatting or typing on computer. Many students lose their marks because of spelling mistakes. Proofread all your answers after transferring them into the answer sheet. Check all the spellings twice.

6. Concentrate:

Thirty minutes is a long time and it is hard to stay focused. In fourth section (monologue), you might miss an answer just in a blink of an eye. Don’t let that happen to you. Stay focused. You hard work will pay you off.

7. Do not leave any question unattempt:

The beauty of IELTS is there is no negative marking. Write anything relevant; your answer might be a right guess. Who knows!

8. Don’t keep changing the answers:

Don’t change your mind or answers! You may miss the next question in doing so. Ans even if that happens, do not lament, just move on.

9. Don’t understand:

We do not want to learn any academic subject from section 4 (monologue), at least not in listening test. So do not try to understand everything. It will leave you confused, and miscomprehension may hurt your score.

10. Transition words:

Answers revolve around transition words. For example, words like ‘because’, ‘therefore’, ‘however’ give the evidence of what it was stated. Some more detailing is given here. Whenever you hear these words, fetch the answer. Bingo!

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