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IELTS

LISTENING
Skills Involved
In the IELTS Listening Module, the recording is played once only. You must, therefore, use a number of
strategies to help you listen closely. You will need four main skills to do well in the IELTS Listening Module.
These are:
TIP
1.

Understanding instructions
Instructions are both written on the question paper and spoken on the
CD. Read and listen to every sentence in the instructions very
carefully. Ensure that you follow them exactly and answer in the correct
way.

Try to listen carefully

as this will help you to
preview the questions.

TIP
Make sure that while

2.

Previewing and predicting

An announcer will briefly outline:
the theme of the topic
people who are talking
the situation of the topic

you are writing your

answers, you continue
to

listen

to

the

information given in
the recordings as you
will not hear it the
second time.

Here are some hints for previewing and predicting:

Study the question carefully and underline the main points, and try to predict what type of answer is
required. For example- will it be a number, a name or may be an address?

Check the differences between similar-looking pictures or diagrams.

Look for minor details such as different numbers or omissions.

In addition to the 30 seconds before each section, you will be given another 30 seconds after each
section to look over your answers. If you are satisfied with your answers in the section you have just
finished, move on to the next section and use the full 60 seconds for previewing.
3.

Try to listen for main idea and specific information (numbers, dates, time)
Use of previewing and predicting skills will help you listen for the main idea as well as specific
information that is needed to answer the questions in the Listening Module. Listening for key words and
common connective words often helps to signal the specific information that you need in order to
answer the question.

4.

Check and rewrite

You are given about 30 seconds after each section to check your answers. Check that all your answers
correspond to the given instructions.
Make sure that you have answered every question. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers,
so, even if you are unsure of a particular answer, you should guess by writing down what you think is
the most likely answer.

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Check that you have included only what is necessary in the answer.
At the end of the Listening Module, you are given about 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the
question paper onto the answer sheet. Scan your answers to ensure that you have transferred them
correctly, so that the number on the question paper corresponds with the number on the answer sheet.
Be especially careful when transferring answers from tables as sometimes the items are not ordered
linearly. You have to be very careful in spellings - as spellings must be correct.
5.

Thinking
TIP
In the Listening Test you use four skills at once. It is not surprising that
candidates often find this the most demanding of the four tests. You
Spellings must be
need to be able to:
correct
otherwise
Read the instructions and questions
your answer is wrong.
Listen for general information
Listen for specific information
Write the answers as you listen for the answers to the questions that follow.
Before each listening passage, some time is given to you to look at each section in the test booklet.
You should try to predict information about the listening passage situation. Predict the number of
speakers involved and what they might be doing or discussing. Try especially to predict what they might
say and the words they might use.
You are given only a short time to look at the questions before the listening passage begins. However,
to score well in the Listening Test you need to develop the ability of thinking ahead. The more
effectively you can foresee, the quicker your mind will form the correct word associations to be made
with the topic, and the better you will be able to work out the meaning of what you hear.

6.

Work out the key words or sentences

Section 1 of the Listening Test is the easiest of the four sections. Each section becomes progressively
more difficult. If you have a good understanding of Basic English, you should have little trouble hearing
all the answers in Section 1. Most candidates who are seriously considering tertiary study in English
speaking country in the near future should be able to score 100% in this section. However, sometimes
unnecessary mistakes are made due to nervousness or lack of preparation. Listen for a general
understanding of the situation, and at the same time listen for the specific keywords or sentences.
The keywords or key phrases in Section I are most likely to be presented to you in the Test Booklet in
the form of pictures, charts or diagrams; in the other three sections they are usually given in words only.
Predicting the words you might hear in Section I is easier if you work out the word variables. The
variables are those words and situations in a possible answer that can vary or change, according to
what you hear on the CD. In many types of questions (multiple choices, for example) those variable
word/phrase choices are given to you. In other questions, the choice of words you may hear is
completely up to you to predict.
By predicting the variable words to listen for, you increase your chances of hearing the answer.

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IELTS

7.

Generally the answers are stressed and repeated

If you listen carefully to the practice CD, you will notice that important information, which includes the
answers, is almost always stressed and quite often repeated two or even three times.

8.

Know when the next question begins

In the IELTS Listening Test each section is considered separately, and you are not told when the next
question in a section comes. When the passage is being played, you should
be aware of the content of the next question
as you listen for the answer to the current question
If you do not think ahead of the next question, you might be unable to keep up with the CD. You could
still be waiting for an answer that has already been given.
Listen for the question topic keywords/phrases, any marker words/phrases (see below), and the
changes in the speaker's stress or pitch, to help you recognise when the questions change. Once you
recognise the question topic has changed, it is time to move on to the next question, even if you have
not answered the previous question.
Only very few Listening Test questions are given out of order. However, you must be flexible enough to
look ahead at the test paper in case the answers to questions do not come in the order shown in the
test booklet. This is most likely to occur in a gap fill listening task.
Marker words/phrases are those English words/phrases that tell the listener that the topic is changing.
Listen for marker words/phrases so that you know when to move on to the next question.
For example
Before I move on to

I'd like now to move

And what about?

on to
And now (we will)

Now tell me,.

Next, I'd like to

Finally, can you tell

Right, so the first thing

To start with

us

Changes in the speaker's inflection also tell you that the question topic is changing. Usually, when an
English speaker changes topic, his or her voice will lift considerably in pitch and in level of excitement.
Listen to the CD for the above or similar marker words/phrases, and try to hear the changes in pitch
and excitement in the voice.
9.

Sometimes clues to the following questions are hidden in the booklet

In some cases, the answer to a question could be given in written words later in the test booklet.
Clues to the answer, and even the answers themselves, can sometimes be found printed in the test
booklet.

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10.

IELTS

Listen for the speaker changing his/her mind

Often the speaker changes his or her mind and makes a correction before giving the answer that you
need. Alternatively, the speaker may correct someone else.
Listen for the possibility of the speaker making corrections.

11.

For speedy writing, use shorthand

In the Listening Test, you are often required to listen to the next answer while writing down the answer
to the previous question. It is one of the measures of effective listening - the examiners want to find out
if you can comprehend what is said while attempting another task at the same time. This further tests
your listening ability in English.
To write down the answers more quickly, write only the first two or three letters of the answer that you
hear. This shorthand approach is effective in a gap fill listening task because some of the answers may
come in quick succession, especially at the beginning of the gap fill passage. You can complete the
words during the short period of time given to you after the passage has finished. You are very likely to
remember what the letters mean because they are the first letters of words you have recently heard in
context.
This method will enable you to return quickly to giving your whole attention to listening for the next
answer. However, it does require some practice. Note that you would not try to use this method to
remember numbers, but with word answers there is never a problem to remember. Then, all you need
to do is give the correct grammatical form of the answers.
Strategies for solving different types of questions

1.

Fill in the blanks

Gap fill tasks are usually considered by candidates to be the most difficult of the IELTS listening tasks.
Your grammatical knowledge is as important as your listening ability, for your answers should be
grammatically correct within the given sentences.

The most common type of IELTS listening gap fill task requires you to listen to a passage of spoken
English containing information concerning a particular topic or event. It is good practice to listen to the
news on the TV, and try to complete a chart indicating the details (what, where, when, who, how & why)
of that news item.
Not only news items, but all kinds of informative talks can provide
TIP
MCQ length of the
practice of this kind. First, what you should do here is listen for general
choices
information. This is essential because unless you can understand the
There is often one possible
general idea of what is being said, you will be unable to understand the
answer choice that is longer
specific information in the talk. Most listening gap fill questions require
than the others. After you
you to listen for specific information.
have considered and rejected
any illogical choice(s), the

Fill in blanks step by step

next consideration could be

whether or not the longest

Before you listen:

choice given is the correct

answer. Yes, correct answers

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Read the instructions carefully.

Always look at and listen to the example

IELTS

As you listen:
Choose the keywords/phrases to listen for, and be aware of the questions changing.

Be aware that some of the answers may come quickly one after the other.

Be aware that one or two of the answers may not be given in question order.

Be aware that the word or phrase you need may already be on the page.

Use shorthand to improve the speed at which you write down your answers.

In the time given to you at the end of the gap fill:

2.

Make sure your words and numbers are easy to read.

Guess the answers to unanswered questions Avoid leaving blanks.
Check that your answers are given in grammatically correct English.

MCQ Step by Step

You do not have much time to read the multiple choice questions in the Listening Test booklet
before the passage begins. Therefore, decide which parts of the question task to read first.

Before you listen:

Understand the topic of the talk or conversation so that you can predict what ideas and words you
might hear. Therefore, read the instructions first.
Once you have read the instructions, do not forget to look at the example.
Then, read the first question and all the possible answer choices to that question. By doing this, you
will be prepared for the first question when the passage begins. Note that you do not know how
much time you have before the passage begins.
Underline any keywords/phrases in the question and possible answer choices that you feel might
help you in listening for the answer. Make sure that the keywords/phrases refer to the specific topic
of the question.
Then, read the other questions for keywords before you read any of the possible answer choices to
those questions. This will further assist you with predicting and will prepare you to move on to the
next question as the questions change.
Be ready to give the answer to the first question as soon as the passage begins. Sometimes the
answer to the first question is given in the speaker's very first sentence.

As you listen:
You should examine the answer choices for each question as you listen to the passage.
Never overlook all (or none) of the above answer choices.
If in doubt, consider the longest answer after rejecting any illogical answers.

In the time given to you at the end of the multiple choice questions:
Check the choices you have made.
Guess the answers to unanswered questions - do not leave blanks.

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3.

IELTS

True/False Questions
Candidates usually feel safe with True/False type tasks because the chance of getting each answer
correct is 50%. Yet, surprisingly, it is often the task in which candidates score the least marks. This is
especially true of True/False/Not Mentioned, or Accurate/ Inaccurate/Not Given question tasks, in which
the chances of answering correctly are lowered to 33%.
The IELTS True/False question tasks require you to listen to a passage of spoken English, often an
informative conversation or lecture, and choose whether given statements are supported or
contradicted in the passage. It is good practice to listen to talks or recorded lectures on the TV or radio,
or you can buy recorded talks on audio CD. Practice with listening passages that itemize certain rules
or conditions, perhaps listing the rules of use of an educational facility such as a library. Make use of
the passages on the CD that accompanies book.
To successfully answer True/False task questions, you need to recognise the
Caution modifying or qualifying words or phrases used in the question statements,
and listen for them in the passage.

Below are some words and phrases that help to modify or qualify what is stated:
- certainly

- should not

- absolutely essential

- must

- have to

- will

- strictly prohibited

- must not (mustn't)

- wont - can not (cant)

- can/may only

- sometimes

- unnecessary to

- yet

- might

- should

- need to

- necessary to

- ought to

- usually

- never

- always

- often

- it is optional

- don't have to

- not required to

- need to (neednt)

- on the other hand

- an exception is

- but

- however

- could

- may

- can

- might

True/False Questions Unconditional Words

Be especially careful of True/False type questions when the statements given include words such as
always, never, must, have to, only, and all (the students etc.). This can also apply to other
question types such as multiple choice tasks in both the Listening and Reading Tests.

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These qualifying words have unconditional or all-inclusive meanings in sentences. However, even
though the words you read in the Listening Test booklet may be heard in the passage, they are often
qualified later. If you do not listen carefully, you might easily believe these statements are true when
they are actually false. In fact, statements containing these words in True/False question tasks are quite
often false. They are sometimes purposely included in the test to discover a candidate's true listening
ability.
What is Listening Section 1 like?
Section 1 is a conversation between two speakers in a social or semi-official context.
Question Formats
There are two main question types:
Identifying details
Listening for specific information

SECTION 1
Identifying details
You may be given sets of similar pictures, and can be asked to choose the picture that matches what you
hear.
Example:
Question:

)
HALL

RECEPTION HALL
B

A
RECEPTION HALL

)
C

)
RECEPTION HALL
D

So you circle the letter C.

Alternatively, there may be multiple choice questions.

Directions: Listen to the conversation between Marie and Jim and answer the following question.
Q.1
What time is Jims plane scheduled to land?
A.
2 : 30 a.m.
B.
12 : 30 p.m.
C.
1 : 00 p.m.
D.
13 : 30 hrs
Listening for specific information
In the conversation that you listen to, you may be asked for factual information such as names or dates which
you have to note down. (The question format may be filling in a form).

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Questions 2 5: Listen to the conversation and answer questions 2 5.

APPLICANTS DETAILS
Name:
Address:

(2)______________________

Street:

(3)______________________

City:

(4)______________________

Postal code: (5)______________________

Table and Note Completion

Directions: Listen to the conversation between Marie and Jim and answer questions 6 8.

THE FULBRIGHT CONSULTANCY: RESEARCH SUPPORT

Doctoral Research

Graduate Studies

Undergraduate studies

(6) ..

Federal Scholarship

Federal Scholarship

(7)

(8)..
..

23 Education Street, LA
.
................................

What is Listening Section 2 like?

Section 2 is a talk by a single speaker on a topic of general interest.
Question Formats
As in section-1, you are asked to listen for specific details; you may also have to identify and interpret the
speakers main ideas. Question formats can include:
Answering multiple choice questions
Writing short answers (usually no more than three words per answer)

Completing a set of notes from the talk

Completing a summary of the talk
SECTION 2

Now listen to a presentation and answer the questions that follow.

Questions 9 14: Use No More Than Three Words to complete each blank space.
9.
Due to the lack of education, the tribes of America had a _______ about wetlands.
10.

The prolonged presence of water favours the growth of _____________.

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11.

States and tribes can play an important role in the ________ of wetlands.

12.

Wetlands are of two types: tidal wetlands and __________________.

13.

Some plants have adapted to the ____________________ conditions.

14.

The wetlands provide birds, fish, and animals with food, __________.

Questions 15 17: Circle the correct letter.

15.
Wetlands are useful for human beings because
A.
they are a source of economic growth
B.
they are a source of mosquitoes, flies, and snakes
C.
they save them from natural disasters
D.
they are the most productive ecosystems and a source of natural wealth
16.

The American wetlands are disappearing because of

A.
the pressure of overpopulation
B.
the over-exploitation
C.
the negative attitude of the common masses and tribes
D.
the industrial policies of the states

17.

The wetlands are a source of

A.
natural wealth
C.
productive ecosystems

B.
D.

natural protection
all of these

What is Section3 like?

Section 3 usually takes the form of a conversation between two or more people discussing an academic topic.
For example:

Two/Three students decide upon a topic to present to their Study Skills Class.

A university supervisor discusses a written assignment with two postgraduate students.

A student gives a presentation about a chosen topic to a seminar group.

An MA student defends his/her thesis proposal and answers questions from a panel of college
lecturers.

What listening skills are being tested in Section-3?

The questions are designed to test whether you can follow the presentation or discussion effectively. Apart
from understanding the content of what the speakers say, you may also have to recognize the speakers
attitudes: for example, whether they are being serious or humorous or sarcastic. This means you will have to
pay attention to the speakers tone of voice, in order to go beyond the surface meaning.
Question Formats
Question formats may include:

Multiple choice questions

Questions requiring short answers

Labelling a diagram

Deciding whether statements are true or false according to what you have heard.

We shall now look at the last two formats in some details.

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10

SECTION 3
Now listen to a conversation and answer the questions that follow.
Labelling a diagram
Questions 18 19: Listen to the conversation and complete the diagram by indicating names for (18) and
(19). Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
(18)______
(19)______

Questions 20 24: Listen to the conversation and write whether the following statements are TRUE or
FALSE according to what you hear.
20. The last date for submission of applications is 31st July.
21. The student is looking for a management course with specialization in Cost Management.
22. The requirement of interview is only for those who want to take up part time programmes.
23. The student wants to submit the application on the same day that the forms are issued.
24. The office closes at 3.30 p.m.
Ans: 20. ____ 21. ____

22. ____

23. ____

24. ____

Other Question Formats for Sections 3 4:

Multiple choice

Short answers

Choosing an appropriate

Completing a Flow

Diagram or Figure

Chart Summary

We shall look at the last format in some detail.

Completing a Flow Chart Summary
Questions 25 29: Complete the missing information by answering questions 25 29 in the flow chart
describing as to how a trip is planned after listening to this conversation.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

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11

Go to Paris

Staying in Paris for not more than (25)___________

You can carry a little (26)_________ by train.

Cost of Railway
Ticket (Paris Vienna) with
concession is
(28)

Cost of Railway
ticket (Paris Vienna)
w/o
concession is
(27)________

The ferry will be taken from Piraeus to

(29)_________

Questions 30 36: Use NOT MORE THAN THREE WORDS to complete each space.
30.

Miss Sophias final destination is _________________________

31.

Sampson is a professional ____________________.

32.

Sampson charges fee of $50 for single reservation and __________ for a package.

33.

Miss Sophia wants to go by a ferry to Paris because it is quite cheap and the journey

34.

She wants to go to Vienna by _____________________.

35.

She does not want to stay longer in Paris because the city is ________.

36.

She wants to go to Alexandria, Egypt to join _______________.

Ans: 30. ____ 31. ____

32. ____

33. ____

34. ____

35. ____

____________.

36. ____

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