What is an IELTS Listening and how does it help to increase your band score?
Is it possible to get a band 9 in IELTS Listening? Improve IELTS Listening
Yes, it is. But, there are some tips you should consider before giving the IELTS Listening examination.
IELTS Listening Test Structure
The Listening sections of both the General and Academic IELTS examinations are identical and the score are given in the same way.
You will listen to four different recordings and then answer ten written questions for each.
The recording will be played only once.
A total of 40 minutes is provided out of which in the 30 minutes, the candidate listens to the audio conversation and writes their answers on the question paper.
Later, in the 10 minutes, they have to translate their answers in the answer sheet provided by the examiner with their name and details.
In section 1- two speakers have an everyday conversation.
A monologue about an everyday situation is played in the section 2.
An academic conversation between up to 4 people for the section 3.
And, in fourth section- a monologue on an academic topic.
Main Concept of the IELTS Listening
The purpose of the IELTS Listening test is to see how well a candidate can:
- Understand both main ideas and detailed information
- Recognize the opinions and attitudes of the speaker
- Follow the development of an idea or argument.
To maintain the proper band score on IELTS listening, follow the given tips and tricks.
Attempt all the questions- wrong answers will not result in a deduction of points, so don’t waste time on a question you don’t understand and move on.
Watch out for plurals in answers- The answer will be incorrect if a singular phrase is used instead of plural, so pay carefully.
Answers appear in the order they are heard in the audio- Have a concentrate on the answers, which may come swiftly or with a huge gap.
Prepare to hear a potential answer that is not the actual answer- When two people are making plans, they agree on a certain time interval but remember they can’t so they decide on a new time.
Take care while transferring the answer- Pay attention to the word limit while transferring the answer.
Multiple choice answers will ask for a letter- Here, write the letters instead of the corresponding answer
When asked to complete a sentence, use no more than two words- The answer “branded items” is correct despite “items that are branded”.
Hyphenated words- For E.g.: – “Part-time” is regarded as a single term.
A date is considered one number- For E.g.: – 2000
Focus on what the speaker is saying not how they are saying
Avoid taking notes in complete sentences
Develop the habit of distinguishing between essential and non-essential information- If two people are planning for some event, the important information is the time/date they finally agree upon. Other dates and periods are regarded as irrelevant..
Practice more and more to improve- Improve your listening skills by becoming an active listener.
Make the habit of taking notes and improve note-taking skills while listening to the IELTS podcast.