IELTS academic listening tips and tricks

In case you are willing to improve your IELTS Listening score and secure a good IELTS band score, the following tips can help you:

1. Grow a habit of more listening

Once you have decided to sail aboard for higher studies, you have to grow a habit of including English in all your habit. For example, 

• Speak in English
• Listen to English
• Read in English
• Think in English
• Write in English

It is because, in that foreign country, English is the only option to communicate, are your views as well as to get your essentials. In the list of IELTS Listening Tips, it is most essential to grow a habit of listening to excerpts in English with different accents. 

It will take time to be familiar with this but you have to try it. Listen to English songs and English news. Also, watch shows or interviews in English. In case it seems too difficult, take the help of the lyrics of the song you have listened to or watch a movie with subtitles. 

2. Learn and use new words

Naturally, you will come across a range of new words as you will start listening to English songs or watching movies. Do not forget to take note of the words. 

With Google translator or any good translating app, understand the new word, its meaning, and antonym. Try to incorporate that word into your daily conversation. 

3. Concentrate on spelling and grammar

As you have to transfer the answer on the answer-sheet, be much aware of spelling and grammar. A small mistake can be a barrier to achieve the perfect band score. 

4. Know the Contents of IELTS listening test

The essential IELTS academic listening test tips ask the test-takers to know the test itself. You can go through the IELTS sample listening tests to have an idea of the paper. Here is a short description of the IELTS listening section. It consists: 

• 4 parts
• 1 recording in each part (the theme of each recording will be different)
• 10 questions for each part – total of 40 questions to be answered in 30 minutes which will be transferred in the answers in answer sheet in 10 minutes.

The recordings include:

• A conversation between two people on any social context
• A monologue on any social context
• A conversation between not more than four people in an educational context
• A monologue on any educational context

Question types of this section are:

• Multiple Choice – Select one or more correct answer from the given options.
• Matching – Match a list according to the recording in the question paper.
• Labeling the plan, map, diagram – Put label on the given plan, map, or diagram.
• Form, note, table, flow-chart, summary completion – Fill an outline with given options.
• Sentence completion – Fill the gap with the required word limit with information from the recordings.
• Short-answer questions – Answer the questions within the word limit. 

5. Be attentive while reading the questions

Test-takers are given the question paper before they listen to the recording. Be very attentive during this and try to memorize the questions or keywords. 

6. Write the answers in the answer booklet clearly

When you are listening, you have to write the answers in the booklet. Write in a clear and legible way so that transferring these answers to the answer sheet can be feasible. This is a tip for the entire question especially IELTS listening tips for multiple choice answers. 

7. Practice and Be Multitasking

IELTS listening tips and tricks academic asks you to practice, listening to a recording, reading a question, and answering the question at the same time. Do this every time you practice for perfection and practice the answer transferring with a pencil too. 

8. Move on

In case, you cannot answer a question while listening to the recording, move on because you can hear the excerpts only once. Focus on the recording and answer the next one. There is no negative marking, so you can answer with common sense at the end. If it is incorrect, you will obtain 0. IELTS listening tips for band 8 is not leaving an answer blank. 

9. Follow the instruction

Word count will be mentioned for each type of question, be very particular with this otherwise your correct answer will be considered as incorrect for exceeding a single word. 

10. Don’t try to understand everything

You have to answer based on as much you have understood. Don’t dwell on the parts you have not understood. Be confident that you can answer all the questions with the parts you have understood. 

Additional tips

• Understand the situation of the recordings
• Calm down and have patience 
• Concentrate on the recordings
• Recheck the answers if possible and correct your silly mistakes

Aim of IELTS Listening test

Candidates’ ability to identify the central idea of the recordings and their focus on details will be checked in this test. This section will also check how much analytical and specific the candidate is. The writing part of this test will assess the spelling and grammar knowledge of the candidate. It also assesses candidates’ understanding of the subject, their ability to identify the key points and summing up the entire thing. 

Check this for additional tips and guidance in IELTS or practice with IELTS practice papers and get satisfactory scores top stay one step ahead of others.