Most people find the Listening test more stressful than the Reading test. That’s because when you are reading, you have the texts in front of you and you can refer to them more than once. When you are listening, if you miss an answer, it’s gone — and because you only hear the recording once, you can never get it back. So you need to work out some strategies in advance. Here are three tips you will find useful:

1. Make notes before you listen

Imagine that you are listening for the answer to Question 3, and you suddenly hear the answer to Question 6. This means you have been focusing so hard on one question that you have missed not only that one, but two more!

The key to doing well in the Listening test is to make it a two-stage process. First read the questions so you know what you’re listening for, then listen and make notes. If you know what the question is asking you to find, it’ll be much easier to recognise it when it comes up in the audio. This is especially important for computer-based IELTS. You won’t be able to take extra notes and transfer all your answers, so listening preparation is key.

In the paper-based IELTS test, you can make notes on the question paper as you listen. Don’t worry if your notes are untidy; the important thing is not to get left behind. It is useful to practise good note-taking using lots of different material, like TED Talks. At the end, you have ten minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet (at which time you do need to be neat and tidy).

2. Be accurate

In the Listening test, you need to be very precise when answering the questions. For example, let’s say the question paper asks you to complete the phrase ‘in the…’ and the answer is ‘morning’. When you write the information on the answer sheet, only ‘morning’ will be marked correct. If you write ‘the morning’ or ‘in the morning’ you will not be given a point (despite the fact that you know the answer). This rule also applies to spelling. Spelling is extremely important — all your spelling must be accurate otherwise you run the risk of losing a mark.

3. If in doubt, guess

If you’re not sure of the answer, it’s important to guess. There are two reasons for this:

• You do not lose points for having the wrong answer, so there is no risk.
• Leaving spaces can get you into trouble as you might write a correct answer in the wrong place later.

Finally, make sure that Test Day is not the first time you do an IELTS Listening test. Try to do at least four or five practice tests in advance to get used to the preparation and test time, reading and listening to the questions, and writing accurate answers.

The best way to improve your IELTS Listening score is by getting to know the question types and doing lots of practice tests. You can try this on IELTSPractice.com as well as getting access to materials, tips and tutorials from IELTS experts.