IELTS listening test

[linshorton]

Hello again,

I am getting very worried about the listening test. Just doing the general . Hope you can help.

Does the speaker talk fairly slowly? I have a hopeless memory especially when nervous. Is it better to take notes as you are listening or just try and answer each question as you go. Just scared I will miss the first one and panic! Thought this was going to be easy! Just using some books from the library which are useful,

Thanks!

lins

[Richie c]

It's played off a cd through speakers. You have to answer the questions as you go as there is no time to take notes. I had an IELTS book with audio cds to practice but i'm sure there were some online it really is worth practicing it so you know the format and what to expect.

[Val Tibenham]

If you can get some of the IELTS practice books with CDs in them, you can practise the listening sessions.

 

One of the points to remember when doing the listening is that the questions come in the same order as the person is speaking so if you find that you hear an answer to a question that is next but one, hope you understand, then you have missed hearing an answer. Just let that one question go and carry on listening and picking up the answers to the following questions. Unless you're very lucky I think most people miss at least one answer to a question but don't let yourself get panicked by it, carry on and listen for the answers to all of the remaining questions. One missed answer won't cost you much in the way of points but if you allow yourself to get flustered then you may well miss several questions which would be much worse. Just say to yourself "Blow, missed that one, must carry on" and you will be fine.

 

With the listening you are able to make very quick notes on a spare sheet of paper as the test goes through, be this the number of the answer you want to give or a quick note of some info that you want to remember. You then transfer your answers to the final answer sheet in an allocated slot of time at the end of the listening.

 

The person speaking, it is on a tape, speaks clearly and concisely - it's not too quick that you can't follow it.

 

Good luck with your test and just try to get in as much practise as you can beforehand :smile:

[linshorton]

Thank you for the tips. I have the transcripts of the conversations in the back of the practice books so I read them out loud, recorded it on my mobile and then did the test. Being calm and not panicking seems to be very important! Luckily my speaking bit is on Wednesday and the rest on Saturday. I would have got the cd if I had realised how tough the test was!

thanks again.

lins