Beware of These 10 Common IELTS Listening Mistakes

Are you preparing to take the IELTS exam? If so, focus a bit more on the listening section. It overwhelms a lot of candidates, pushing them to make mistakes. More importantly, even the repeat test-takes overlook to correct these mistakes. Do not do that! It can cost you precious points, ruining your plans to study or work abroad.

So, what are these mistakes, and how can you correct them? Here’s an article that will give you insights into the same. When these top 10 common IELTS Listening mistakes are rectified, they can give you much mileage in achieving your desired score. Educate yourself, join reputed online IELTS coaching in Dubai, and get closer to your goals.

1. Inattentive Listening

Picture yourself in the midst of the IELTS listening assessment, surrounded by silence save for the audio emanating through your headphones. Suddenly, your mind wanders, and you lose track of the recording. Minutes pass before you snap back, realising you've missed crucial information.

This common occurrence can be detrimental to your score. To evade this pitfall, cultivate active listening skills. Zone out distractions, focus on key phrases and refine your concentration through consistent practice sessions.

2. Ignoring Instructions

How often do we glance over instructions only to realise later that we've overlooked a critical detail? It's imperative to meticulously adhere to directions during the IELTS Listening examination to avert costly mistakes. Every task, word limit, and formatting guideline serves a purpose, and disregarding them could lead to point deductions.

Hence, it's essential to practice reading and comprehending instructions attentively prior to commencing the listening segment. Pay close attention to task requirements and any specific directives provided. By diligently following instructions during preparation, you'll enhance your readiness for the test.

3. Disregarding Predictive Abilities

One of the gravest mistakes is attempting to anticipate answers before fully comprehending the material.

Concentrating on a predetermined response while listening to the passage can lead to overlooking the correct answer. It’s crucial to maintain an open mindset and allow the audio to guide your decision-making process.

Ideally, you aim to comprehend the audio and questions presented without bias towards specific answers. Let the audio guide you towards the appropriate response.

4. Spelling Mistakes

In the IELTS Listening examination, accuracy is of utmost importance. Any misspelt word, whether common or a proper noun such as place or city names, risks marking your answer incorrect. Even minor grammatical errors can impact your score. It’s vital to address these common pitfalls to mitigate this issue.

Additionally, engage with a variety of English materials like novels, newspapers, and podcasts. These resources expose you to correct language usage and improve your grasp of sentence structure. Attention to detail is crucial; a single letter can determine success or a lost mark.

5. Ineffective Use of Transfer Time

During transitions between sections or questions in the IELTS Listening test, a brief period is allotted for transfer time. Regrettably, many test-takers overlook this opportunity, wasting it instead of reviewing their answers. This oversight can lead to missed chances for rectifying mistakes and lower scores.

However, utilise this time judiciously to review your answers and make any necessary adjustments. Avoid the urge to rush through this period; instead, focus on ensuring the accuracy of your responses. By utilising transfer time effectively, you can enhance your confidence and optimise your score on the IELTS Listening test.

7. Leaving Blank Spaces

If you are in any online IELTS coaching in Dubai, your instructor will also advise you against leaving empty spaces on their answer sheets. Why?

Firstly, there is no penalty for incorrect answers, meaning there's no negative marking. Therefore, it's advantageous to make an educated guess.

Secondly, leaving a blank space might result in the correct answer being written in the wrong place, leading to point deductions.

There's a possibility that your guess is correct, earning you points for that answer.

Hence, it's preferable to make an educated guess rather than leaving a blank space.

8. Not Using the Time Given to Transfer Answers

Remember, you are provided with an additional 10 minutes to transfer answers from the question paper to the answer sheet. Therefore, every experienced online IELTS coaching in Dubai advises to utilise these 10 minutes effectively.

Students often attempt to transfer their answers while simultaneously listening to the audio. Since the audio is played only once in the IELTS listening test, it's recommended to avoid distractions from the audio and focus solely on transferring answers after the audio has concluded. In summary, refrain from reading, listening, and writing simultaneously.

9. Selecting Without Listening to Entire Passage

Upon hearing the audio, you may feel confident in knowing the correct answer without listening to the entire passage, promptly marking it as correct. However, take a pause; it could be a distractor, or perhaps the complete passage offers a more precise answer to the question. Therefore, the optimal advice is to listen to the entire audio before providing an answer.

10. Unfamiliarity with Various Question Formats

You may encounter challenges in providing the correct answers for specific question types, such as those involving reading maps. If you lack familiarity with these question types, achieving your desired score can be challenging. The optimal solution is to practice listening exercises extensively in your online IELTS coaching in Dubai and acquire the skills necessary to address each question type effectively.

Final Word:

Mastering the IELTS Listening test requires diligence, focus, and familiarity with common pitfalls. By avoiding errors like the ones listed above, you can enhance your performance and achieve your desired scores. For more guidance, contact English Wise—a reputable institute for online IELTS coaching in Dubai. Not only IELTS, but they also guide you through various other competitive paths, such as PTE and OET exams online.

So, book a consultation with their IELTS experts and share your concerns. Good luck!