Aiming for band 7 or 8? You’ve poured all your energy into preparing for the test. You’ve registered for the coaching. You’re listening to the recordings everyday.
But despite all your efforts, your scores aren’t up to the mark. You have seen people scoring 7 or 8. But how do they do it?
Start with these need-to-know tips. Peruse them carefully and practice with even more prudence.
TIP#1 Understand the basics of listening test
Know the exact pattern of the test. Be clear about the fact that there are 40 questions divided into 4 sections (10 questions in each section).The sections increase in difficulty as the test goes on. Recordings are played once and a pencil should be used for writing the answers.
TIP#2 Concentrate and multitask
Multitasking is important! Listen, read, and write- everything at the same time. You’ve got to listen to the recording and simultaneously read the questions (note: you get a minute to read the questions at the start of each section).
TIP#3 Practice listening
Practice is the way to go! Try listening to recordings everyday. Get used to different accents, particularly British and American. Get familiar with transferring answers from the booklet to the answer sheet.
TIP#4 Pay attention to spellings and grammar
Wrong spelling = wrong answer. Make sure you practice writing the correct spellings. They should be correct to get a point and. While listening, there are chances of writing the wrong spelling in your answer sheet.
Same goes for grammar. Make sure to write grammatically correct answers with the right preposition and articles. It depends on the type of questions. Always read the words before and after the gap.
TIP#5 Read the questions carefully – word limit
Make the most of the time you get for reading the questions. Check the word limit for each question. Sometimes the word limit for answers is “No More Than Two Words” and “Not More Than Three Words.” It keeps changing with the type of questions.
TIP#6 Know the types of listening questions
Listening sections contain a variety of questions. They include:
- Multiple choice
- Matching
- Plan/map/diagram labelling
- Form completion
- Note Completion
- Table Completion
- Flow-chart Completion
- Summary Completion
- Sentence Completion
- Short Answer Questions
TIP#7 Answers may come quickly in section 4
In section 4, answers may come quickly. You may get 3 answers in a row. Be prepared to write your answers right away. Don’t panic if you happen to miss any. Quickly move to the other question if you’re unable to understand.
TIP#8 Look out for paraphrasing
Remember that whatever words you hear are not exactly same as the words written on the question paper. In almost all the questions, they often paraphrase or use synonyms. You must know equivalent words to answer correctly.
TIP#9 Mark the key words
In all the sections, underline keywords like names, places, or dates in the question. It will help you in staying focused during the listening test.
TIP#10 Diligently observe the order of the question
Pay heed to the order of the questions particularly in ones in the table, diagram and chart. It’s not necessary the pattern will go from left to right.
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