“What did he just say? Oh no, I totally missed that!” Does this sound like you? If you’re looking to boost your score on the IELTS listening test, you’re in the right place. Here are top 10 most effective IELTS listening tips for you.

Top 10 most effective IELTS listening tips

IELTS Listening Test Overview

The IELTS listening test is designed to test your ability to both hear and understand the English language. This part of the test takes 30 minutes and is the same for both the General Training and Academic IELTS tests.

The IELTS Listening test assesses your ability to understand spoken English

IELTS Listening is divided into four sections, with 10 questions in each section. The test takes around 30 minutes to complete, with each section getting increasingly more difficult. You will have 10 minutes at the end of the listening test to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

For further information on IELTS listening test, check out this overview of IELTS Listening.

Common Types of Questions in IELTS Listening Test

The IELTS Listening test includes a variety of question types designed to assess your ability to understand spoken English. Familiarizing yourself with these question formats helps you prepare effectively and improve your score.

Multiple choice

You will select the correct answer from a list of options (e.g., A, B, or C). Some questions may require choosing more than one answer.

Matching

You will match a list of items (e.g., names, places, or events) to the correct options based on the audio.

Read more about IELTS Listening Matching Questions.

Plan, map or diagram labelling

You will label parts of a visual (e.g., a building layout or a map) by identifying locations or features described in the recording.

Form, note, table, flow chart or summary

Fill in missing information based on the audio. This format often involves factual details like dates, names, or steps in a process.

Sentence completion

You must complete sentences with information from the recording.

Short answer

Answer questions in a few words, often based on factual information (e.g., “What time does the lecture start?”).

Read more about IELTS listening Short Answer Questions.

Top 10 IELTS Listening Tips to improve your skills

Tip 1: Familiarize with a Range of Accents

The IELTS Listening test will feature a range of accents to reflect the international nature of English. Therefore, you should get used to listening to accents from a range of English-speaking countries.

There are some English accent such as British, American, Australian or Canadian — There are many English accents

To apply this IELTS Listening tip, you can try listening to regional radio stations or actively watch TV shows from different English-speaking countries. A quick search on Google is all you need to find these.

Tip 2: Don’t Lose Concentration

It can be difficult to stay focused during your IELTS Listening test, but it’s also extremely important if you want to score a Band 7 or above. To improve your concentration, you need to practice active listening.

Maintaining focus throughout the test is a crucial IELTS Listening advice

This IELTS Listening tip involves setting yourself small tasks when you are practizing and actually doing something when you are listening, just like you will be in your test.

Tip 3: Follow the Instructions Carefully

This is one of the most important IELTS Listening tips when it comes to adhering to the word limit.

One of the most important IELTS listening tips is to follow the instructions

For instance, if the instructions specify “No more than three words,” you must ensure your answer does not exceed this limit.

Tip 4: Pay Attention to Keywords

Before each audio recording is played, you will be able to view the questions for that recording. You can use this time to think about which words might be important, these are called keywords.

One of the most effective IELTS listening tips is to pay attention to keywords

When the recording plays, you will listen for these keywords (or synonyms). The IELTS Listening tips can help you answer the questions quickly.

Tip 5: Develop Note-taking Skills

This is one of the most effective tips on Listening IELTS, as it allows you to capture key information quickly and accurately. Practicing shorthand techniques and focusing on writing only the most important details can help you avoid missing crucial points.

By improving your note-taking, you’ll be able to recall answers more easily and improve your overall listening comprehension during the test.

Tip 6: Focus on Word Types

Another IELTS listening advice is to determine what type of word will go in each gap. Is it a noun, verb, adverb or adjective? Write ‘N’ in the gap if you think you should write a noun, ‘V’ for a verb…

Types of words are necessary tips on Listening IELTS

By marking the gap with ‘N’ for noun, ‘V’ for verb, and so on, you’ll be able to narrow your focus to the specific word forms needed, making it easier to identify the correct answer as you go through the test.

Tip 7: Take Notice to Word Indicators

Linking words, also known as transitional words or word indicators, are used to connect sentences and clauses in a paragraph together to make the sentence smoother and more coherent.

It is vital to recognize word indicators or linking words in the IELTS Listening

The IELTS listening advice is to focus on linking words like “however,” “but,” “then,” and “finally”, which helps you predict what the speaker might say next during the IELTS Listening test.

Tip 8: Learn Vocabulary Categorized by Topic

Part 3 of the IELTS Listening test typically focuses on a specific topic. For instance, the question may present a conversation between a researcher and a colleague discussing environmental conservation efforts.

A foundation of common vocabulary across tested topics is key IELTS Listening test

Equipping yourself with relevant vocabulary is the best one amongst many tips on listening IELTS, providing you with a better understanding of the topic and be able to express your thoughts more confidently.

Tip 9: Understand the Context and Characters

Usually, at the beginning of each listening, you will hear a short introduction: “Now, you will hear a dialogue between…’ or ‘you will hear a lecture on…”.

Understanding context and characters is a crucial IELTS listening advice

This information is not provided in the topic or the questions, so some IELTS listening tips advice to pay attention to the introduction and find out key information such as: who the characters are in the passage, what their names are, what they are discussing or where they are.

Tip 10: Do not Write Answer When Unsure

This is one of the most underrated tips on listening IELTS and many candidates make this mistake since they think they have the correct answer as soon as they hear the relevant information. However, this information might be revised or clarified as the conversation continues.

Incorrect guesses may cause you to lose focus on the upcoming questions

For example:

Alex: I got your order, so you want a large pepperoni pizza, right?

Jordan: No, I actually asked for a medium veggie pizza, not pepperoni.

Alex: Oh, my apologies!

Conclusion

To improve your performance on the IELTS listening test, it’s essential to follow these IELTS listening tips. IELTS TEST PRO offers expert resources and practice tests to help you achieve your desired score based on your current level. Applying these IELTS strategies and consistent practice with IELTS online test on IELTS TEST PRO will help you achieve a higher score.

Top 10 IELTS Listening Tips: Overcome Challenges and Achieve Your Target Score