IELTS listening is one of the four parts of the IELTS test. The main purpose of the listening test is to assess your understanding of monologues or conversations related to different areas such as personal life, business or school. It is required that the student must listen to different recordings to pick out answers to questions.
Skills Required for IELTS Listening Test
- Identifying and understanding the main ideas.
- Recognizing and understanding the attitude and opinion of the speaker.
- Following the development of ideas and arguments.
Pitfalls to Avoid in IELTS Listening Test
Listening Blindly
Many candidates listen without knowing the exact information to extract from the audio. This could be a result of anxiety and low concentration.
To avoid this, the candidate must read the questions carefully. While reading the questions, the candidate must look for clues in every question even before listening to the audio.
Losing Focus
Many candidates tend to lose focus when they miss a particular detail in the audio. Students must be able to still stay coordinated even after this has happened.
It is advisable to move to the next question because of the limited time. By doing this, you don’t end up spending the entire time on one question.
Spelling Errors
When answering questions during the listening test, you must be careful about your spellings. Though candidates overlook this part of the test, it also costs a lot of marks.
Leaving Blank Answers
You must make sure that you avoid leaving blank spaces on your answer sheet. It is better to leave the wrong answer than to have a blank answer. Blank answers will cause you to lose more marks.
Prediction
The questions in the IELTS listening test are usually in a social context. You should be able to read and predict what the question is talking about.
To avoid this, the student must find and underline certain keywords in the questions that will help them find their answers in the audio. Without doing this, it can be difficult to easily find the answers to the questions while listening.
Note that practice makes perfect. You cannot pass the listening test without constant practice. Never feel you know it all. Solve as many exercises as you can.
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