Let’s come straight to the point: You need to be extremely focused to do well on IELTS Listening. It’s not going to happen by chance but you will need to practice listening. Listen to English language news channels such as CNN, BBC, Sky News or Al Jazeera. Listen to English radio channels. Watch movies and focus on the dialogues. Talk to your friends in English who are planning to take IELTS and listen to their conversation attentively. Practice listening standard English as much as you can using online resources and books/CDs available. In short, the more you listen, the more comfortable you will get with this part of the test.
Now let’s come to the test itself. Don’t panic while going through the listening section. Do not let your attention go astray as the speakers indulge in a conversation that may have little bearing on the questions asked. Remember, the speakers in the Listening section generally share more information than you need to answer the questions. It’s easy to lose focus during this time. You need to be attentive throughout the conversations or monologues.
Before you start a particular portion of the Listening section, you are given some time to look at the questions. This is your chance to read the questions in advance so that you know which parts to focus on. Anticipate the clues to answer questions as you listen in.
At the end of the section, you will be given ten minutes to shift your answers to the answer sheet. Make sure you do that without a mistake so that you do not lose valuable points.
