IELTS listening practice test | 5 tips for a stellar score!

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The IELTS listening test is one of the most challenging sections of the IELTS exam. It requires you to know and understand the English language in various accents in one go. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with 5 IELTS listening tips that will help you score well in this section and bring you closer to getting an overall band 9 on the test. Read on!

IELTS listening question types essentials 

The IELTS listening task has six question types-

  • Multiple choice
  • Matching
  • Summary completion  
  • Plan, map, and label diagrams 
  • Form, note, table, flow-chart task 
  • Short answer questions

Know your weakness 

The first step to acing any test is to identify your area of weakness. For instance, you may be weak in understanding a specific accent or have difficulty managing time, or you may not find the distractors of the speakers. Take help from audio sources, podcasts, or practice tests to rectify and improve upon the areas you lack in.

Listen to different accents 

One of the best IELTS listening tips for band 9 is to become familiar with different accents(British, Canadian, American, and Australian). Do plenty of IELTS Listening practice tests that gives you know-how in all the accents. The IELTS test voices are intelligible regional accents that are clear to understand if you have some practice listening and understanding them. You can do this by watching films, and documentaries, listening to English music, and interviews.

Listening to two people chat

When two people speak, one will always agree, and the other will always disagree. You must determine whether two persons are in the conversation, empathize with one of them, and attempt to grasp the discourse.

 

Taking down notes

You must listen to the lectures and take notes as they progress. Everyone has their unique method of taking notes. Thus, it is up to you to take relevant notes. After you’ve written everything down, double-check the spelling.

Recognizing the synonyms and paraphrases

The words used in the audio may not always be the same as those in the question, and the paraphrase may be challenging to understand. As a result, you must pay close attention to compose the correct response.

Key takeaways

  • The IELTS listening module lasts 40 minutes, including 30 minutes of testing and 10 minutes of transferring responses. So, before you begin recording, read all the questions and find keywords.
  • Academic and general IELTS listening tips and tricks are the same since they use the same scoring criteria.
  • Other things you should work on are focusing on keywords, verifying your spelling, being aware of distractions, concentrating on word count instructions, and practicing multitasking.