5 ways to pass IELTS LISTENING

1

Make sure you know the test format!

1. 40 questions

2. they go from fairly easy to harder

3. you only hear the questions ONCE

4. 4 sections

   1. transactional everyday conversation

   2. one person talking about something specific

   3. conversation between 2 to 4 people about something more academic

   4. one person talking about something academic

5. 10 minutes at the end of the test to transfer your answers to the answer sheet

2

Practice by listening to a variety of topics in the following priority order.

1. Your interests - for example, if you are interested in pets - look for the following on YouTube

   1. someone booking in their pet to be taken care of when they go on holiday

   2. a radio program about pets

   3. pet medicine students talking about an assignment

   4. a university lecturer talking about cat psychology

2. Practice listening tests and when you do this, make sure you check with the script after you have tried the test.

   1. https://www.youtube.com/@IeltsPracticeTestResources

   2. https://ielts.idp.com/canada/prepare/ielts-test-preparation-practice-tests-material/listening

   3. https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests/listening

3

Work on your vocabulary - this is essential for all the IELTS test.

Keep a notebook and add to it everytime you learn a new word or expression, especially compound nouns and phrases. Organise your vocabulary into topics like:

• health and medicine

• animals

• learning/study/education/schools

• technology

• holidays and travel

• families and parenthood

• leisure pursuits - hiking, games, music

• sport and exercise

Here is an example for the last topic above - SPORT AND EXERCISE.

Activity nouns	Person nouns	Action verbs	Other
soccer / football	mid-fielder / goal keeper / player / forward / defender / coach / team manager / referee	kick / head / pass (the ball) / blow the whistle /	pitch / field / score / nil = 0
tennis	player / server / receiver / umpire	serve / receive	fault / score / court / love = 0
doing a workout / going to the gym / doing weights	gym junkie / weightlifter / personal trainer	lift weights / go to the gym / do a workout / push yourself / work out

Two men enjoying beach soccer practice, kicking the ball to each other, practising their soccer skills

4

Learn how to write and abbreviate numbers and measurements and money and time.

Measurements

• kilometres = km

• inches = in

• kilograms = kg

• pounds and ounces = lb and oz

Numbers and proportions

Money

Time

5

On the day, listen to and think in English on your way to take the test. Put your favourite podcast on in your headphones. Watch an English-speaking TV show that you like. It is important to put your thoughts into English on the day of the test.

Thank you for paying attention to these four tips - now go and spend half an hour every day practising your listening in English.

Here are these tips in a video format so you can start immediately.