Hello and welcome to IELTS Tips Series. Let me tell you that I have achieved a Band 9 in IELTS Listening. Read along to see how you can improve your score and find out my thoughts on this exam in hindsight.

Note: while this article is focused on the Computer-Based Test, similar principles and tips apply to the paper-based test.

First of all, we must understand that IELTS exams follow a certain pattern, and that each question has its own requirements. Many people fail this one despite being good listeners just because they don’t pay attention where it matters. So without further ado, here are a few tips to remember when practicing:

IELTS Reading Tips For Computer-Based Test:

1. Practice using the Cambridge practice tests (sometimes known as CD IELTS). These books are up for sale, but some places which I wouldn’t name for legal reasons allow you to download these with audio files.
2. If you feel like challenging yourself, use other practice websites but be warned that these websites have a higher level of difficulty. The real test is very similar to the Cambridge practice tests.
3. When using the said practice materials on a computer, open a Word or Excel file in a small window to write down your answers as you listen. In the real test, you would have better controls but with pdf files, you have to make do with these tricks.
4. Practice using headphones rather than speakers because that’s what you will get in the real test.
5. Write exactly what the speaker said. Do not write synonyms. Do not add more. Do not guess. This is like the Reading test, as in they give you the correct answers.
6. Pay close attention to the question. For instance, if it says that you can write ONE WORD OR NUMBER, you can either write a number or a word; but if it says that you can write ONE WORD AND/OR NUMBER, you can either write only one word, or one number, or both.
7. Read the blanks in advance and try to figure out what you need to write (such as noun, verb, etc). This way, you will be instantly realize when you hear that.
8. In multiple choice or agree/disagree questions, thoroughly read all the options in advance because you will get confused between reading and listening if you try to match information in real time.
9. In a conversation, the speaker can first disagree with the other speaker and then show his agreement by saying subtle words like “I guess so”. So don’t rule out any possibility until the end. Similarly, sometimes the speakers change their answer like date of birth or phone number.
10. As a general rule, keep the next two questions in mind at all times so you would notice if you have missed a question. Otherwise you risk missing multiple questions.
11. If someone says a noticeably difficult word, don’t panic! Chances are that the speaker will spell that out.
12. This is important: when the audio says that you have 30 seconds to check your answers, you should quickly check the spellings and answers you’re unsure of, and then immediately proceed to the next section. This way, you will get extra time to read the upcoming questions.
13. In the end, you will get time to check all the answers from every section so you must go back and recheck every answer. You should triple check every spelling.

How to improve your skills:

To improve your listening, follow your favorite YouTubers and see English movies and TV shows. If you can’t understand them, use subtitles so that you will know how a written word sounds like.

Try to listen to people from different countries because in the test, you will hear British, American, Canadian and Australian accents. In some practice tests you also hear some foreign speakers but their pronunciation is fine.

To get good, practice two to three listening tests each day. But don’t stress yourself. Schedule a time each day and stick to it.

You can find more articles on other modules such as Reading, Writing and Speaking on this blog. If you have any tips, you are encouraged to leave them in the comments below.