Learning English

Rob
Listening exams don't need to be scary! Be prepared and together with some of our top tips, you can improve your performance when the exam day comes.
You might be worried about not hearing something the first time – examiner, Mark Shea, has out first tip…

Mark Shea, Examiner
Make sure you’re familiar with the structure of the exam. Sometimes you’ll hear things one
time only; sometimes you might hear things twice.

Rob
So find out before the exam how many times you’ll hear the text. It will affect the way you listen. Next, read the question carefully before the listening audio begins. Know what you’re listening for. Are you looking for specific details? Or more general points?
If you miss something during the exam, don’t panic, just keep going and try to focus on the rest of the exam. Listen to the advice this student gives…

Student
Well, when you didn’t catch the answer and you have to leave a gap because you didn’t understand it, then try not to care about it and try to forget the mistakes and go straight to other things.

Rob
Next, how do you focus your listening? Language teacher, Margaret John, has an idea…

Margaret John, Language Teacher
Keep your finger on the question. Don’t be distracted by all that other language going around. So keep your eyes on the question. When you’ve heard the answer to that question, move straight to the next question, and put your finger on it, and pay attention to that and that alone.

Rob
So carry on, don't get distracted – put your finger on the question and listen only for the answer to that question. If you have the chance to hear things twice, try and form an opinion the first time you listen, and then the second time you listen you should be confirming that your guess was right the first time. Make sure that you do listen the second time, and don’t just think that you’ve got the answer right the first time round.

Finally, if there's time at the end, check your answers and see if they make sense.
Good luck!