IELTS Tips for the listening section

1. In the 30 seconds before each part of the listening, make sure you read the questions to identify what kind of information you require.
2. Try to predict what the answer may be before listening.
3. At home, practise listening and writing at the same time.  Take notes while watching TV to get into the habit of doing what is required in the exam.
4. Be prepared to listen to different accents.  Watch Australian TV or listen to the news on the internet.  Try switching TV channels quickly to make your ear to tune to different accents more quickly.
5. Never leave a space blank.  In the 30 seconds at the end of each section, make sure you go back and guess any missing answers while the listening is fresh in your mind.
6. In the 10 minutes transfer time, check your spelling.   Don’t worry about your spelling during the test.
7. Tune your ear to listen for linking words and phrases, especially with sections 2 and 4 where there is only one speaker, to help you identify when the speaker has moved onto a different topic or is showing contrast / agreement etc.  If you didn’t catch all the information, you can guess the topic using the linking expressions.
8. Listen to podcasts and TedTalks to get used to lecture-style talks.

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