Are you preparing for IELTS? Are you struggling with the IELTS listening section? Are you looking for some tips to improve your IELTS score?  Here are some of the helpful insights and reminders to assist candidates to do their best in the listening section of the test. Candidates should also keep in mind that examination guidelines single-handedly will not be sufficient to do well in IELTS. In order to do well in the test, you must plan and practice your English beforehand. Below mentioned are several useful tips to help you go through the IELTS listening test.

• In the IELTS Listening test, you will have the answer spelled out for you. Let us say for an example, one of the speakers in the listening section might spell their name, and you are required to copy it down. This can present a huge number of challenges to the students. There are some English letters that sound similar to each other. For example- m and n sound very similar so you have to listen to them carefully. However, some English letters sound like different letters in other languages. Like- j in English sounds like g in French.
• 2 English letters can sound similar in your language. It can be said that a Spanish speaker might find it difficult to tell the difference between b and v. In order to prepare and practice for the test efficiently, you need to go through the real experience of the PTE(Pearson Test of English Academic) test so you can understand the strong and weak areas. You can also compare your current band score with your desired band score to understand where you are lacking.
• In the listening IELTS section, make sure you read the first question carefully to notify yourself with the sound, the speaker, and the situation. It prepares you accordingly.
• Make sure you are listening to the audio and writing down the answers simultaneously.
• To train your brain for the IELTS test, you have to practice listening individually and more than one person speaking concurrently.
• Be smart with spelling mistakes. Many candidates lose easy marks because of spelling mistakes.
• Practice shorthand writing style, as it will save you lot of time. For example, instead of writing approximately you can write approx. But before you use such kind of abbreviations or short forms in the exam, ensure you are permitted to do so.
• Another problem candidates face is, they are not just listening, but also reading the question and writing the answer all at the same time. Reading the questions before listening to the audio recording prepares you what you are going to listen for. It can be a tricky skill to master, but it can at times help you predict what kind of answers you are looking for.
• The listening questions are given in order and so are the answers. This can also mean that the answer to question 3 often come quickly directly after the question 2. To ensure you follow the order, you must stick to it so that you do not miss out the essential details.
• The genuine trouble arises when you lose track of where you are listening or where you are still listening. You may end up answering the questions wrong if you keep on listening to the question 10 while the recording has moved onto question 13.
• Candidates make many mistakes in the listening by not actually reading the question. We advise candidates to read the instructions carefully so that they can abide by the rules and regulations of the IELTS test.  Even if you the instructions beforehand, spend good 5 minutes on reading the instructions so that know what you are required to do in the listening test.
• Identifying key words in the question can assist you. Keywords help you recognize where the answer is in the listening transcript. Keywords not only help you find where and what the answer is. This can also mean that if you hear the word “eclipse” in the listening transcript,  you will know where to locate the answers in the passage.
• The solitary method to perk up your Listening skill for the test is to coach your ears and hence brain to understand the words you hear in the flow of sentences. To train your brain for the IELTS test, you can practice listening to audio recordings, podcasts, and English songs. This will not only make you familiar with the different kind of accents but also develop your listening skills for the test.
• It is mandatory to shrewdly allot your time in the listening section. At the start of the listening section, try your best to comprehend every question. If you are able to conclude the main points particularly the long choices in multiple choice questions, then it is a good thing to do. It will help you save time as you move to the other questions. Getting familiar with the questions in advance helps you to focus on the recording and complete the test on time.
• You should practice to prepare well for the IELTS listening part.  We advise candidates to know what they are expected in the test so that they can prepare and perform accordingly in the IELTS listening test.