Is it possible to achieve band 9 in the IELTS Listening test? The answer is Yes! For a band score of 9, you are only allowed to make one mistake and achieve 39 - 40 points in the Listening test. However, to achieve a perfect score, you need to master the test structure as well as effective test-taking strategies. This article will suggest tips you need to keep in mind to conquer the highest score in the IELTS Listening test.
Before taking the test
1. Focus on improving Listening skills
The purpose of the IELTS Listening test is to assess your listening skills. If you only focus on practicing sample exercises and mock tests, that's not enough! Practice materials will help you become familiar with the test structure, but they won't significantly improve your Listening skills.
In addition to practice materials, it's more effective to use listening materials in various forms such as radio reports, television programs, documentaries... Once you're familiar with information from different formats, you'll feel more confident when taking the IELTS Listening test.
Read more:Guide to IELTS dictation practice - Improve your listening skills
2. Equip yourself with common vocabulary for each topic
Part 3 of the IELTS Listening test usually revolves around a specific topic, typically you will encounter the topic of Education. For example, the question will present a dialogue between a student and their tutor discussing a homework assignment. By equipping yourself with all the vocabulary related to school, homework, you will better understand the topic and confidently express your arguments.
Read more: Building vocabulary for the IELTS Listening test
During the test
3. Pay attention to the types of words in the sentence
In addition to reading the question carefully, decide what type of word would fit each blank. Could it be a noun, verb, adverb, or adjective? Write 'N' in the blank if you think you should fill in a noun, 'V' for a verb... This will help you focus on specific word forms throughout the process.
4. Understand the context and characters in the listening passage
Try to understand the context and characters clearly right from the beginning of the listening passage. Usually, at the start of each listening passage, you will hear a short introduction: 'Now, you will hear a dialogue between...' or 'you will hear a lecture on...'.
This information is not provided in the question or the question section, so pay attention to basic information such as: who are the characters in the passage, what are their names, what are they discussing, or where are they. This will help you easily follow and understand the content of the entire listening passage.
5. Maintain focus throughout the listening session
Remember that in the IELTS Listening test, you are only allowed to listen once. Therefore, don't worry if you accidentally miss some words and haven't found answers to a few questions. Leave them blank and focus on completing the rest of the listening test. You can review and think about those questions at the end of the hour. Since you need to read, write, and listen all at the same time, focusing too much on one answer will cause you to miss more questions and become confused in the recording.
6. Pay attention to Word Indicators
Connecting words in Writing (also known as Linking words, Word indicators) are words used to connect sentences and clauses within a paragraph, helping to make the text flow more smoothly and coherently. Pay attention to connecting words such as however, but, then, finally to easily predict what the speaker will say next.
7. Don't rush to write an answer when you're not sure
Many candidates often fall into this trap: as soon as they hear the necessary information, they usually consider it the correct answer. However, sometimes this information will be repeated or corrected further when listening to the entire audio. For example:
Sam: Thank you! I've received your email. So it is loren-hanson@gmail.com.
Loren: No-no! You have mistaken, it is loren-hamson@gmail.com, spelled with M.
Sam: Oh, I'm sorry...
8. Always double-check your work
After each section of the IELTS Listening test, you have 30 seconds to check your answers. It is important to check spelling, countable/uncountable nouns, and word forms. Remember that only correctly written answers will be awarded marks.
9. Transfer the answers onto the paper very carefully
The duration of the IELTS Listening test is 30 minutes. For the paper-based test, you will have an additional 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. And there are always quite a few students who confuse the question numbers!
When you write down your answers, check if the question number for your answer is correct, and if the answer fits within the given space. In other words, make sure that the answer for question 7 is filled in the space for question 7.
10. Don't leave any answers blank.
You won't lose points for incorrect answers, so even if you don't know the answer, it's better to write something in the answer box. You can read the question again and try to guess the answer!
Prepare for the IELTS Listening test with IDP!
Above are extremely useful tips that you can refer to in order to achieve the highest score in the IELTS Listening test. If you are in the process of preparing for the IELTS exam or improving your English skills, contact IDP for completely free support and advice!
With extensive experience in helping candidates prepare for the IELTS exam, IDP always supports you with free access to useful exam preparation resources including articles, videos sharing exam tips from international experts to enhance your test-taking abilities.
Additionally, you can register for a mock test experience at IDP's IELTS test centers, participate in IELTS Workshops and Events directly guided by IDP experts to better understand common mistakes to avoid, study some sample questions and answers along with video tutorials from experts.
Register for IELTS with IDP here!
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