Key takeaways
- Checking the score is only the start. The value of a practice test comes from sorting every mistake into a cause.
- The main causes are missing the answer, misspelling it, writing the wrong form and losing the place in the recording.
- Keep a mistake log and set one fix for each cause before the next test.
- Repeat the same section after a week to see whether the fix worked.
After a Listening practice test, most candidates check the score, feel good or bad and move on. That wastes the best part of the practice. IELTS Listening has four sections and 40 questions, and the same few errors cost marks again and again. This guide shows how to review a test in about 30 minutes and turn the review into a higher score.
Step 1: mark honestly
Count only answers that are spelled correctly and written in the right form. A near miss such as a wrong spelling or a missing plural counts as wrong in the real test, so it should count as wrong in practice. Note your score for each section separately, because many candidates are strong in Section 1 and weaker in Sections 3 and 4.
Step 2: sort each mistake into a cause
| Cause | What it looks like | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Missed the answer | You were still on the previous question when the answer was spoken | Read ahead, and mark keywords before the recording starts |
| Distractor | The speaker corrected themselves and you wrote the first thing you heard | Listen for changes: actually, sorry, I mean, no, rather |
| Spelling | The word is right but misspelled, such as names, numbers and places | Practise the alphabet and common spellings, and check them in the transfer time |
| Wrong form | Singular instead of plural, or a number written as a word when digits are needed | Check the word limit and the sentence grammar before writing |
| Lost place | You stopped following the recording after one difficult question | Skip it, guess and move on, and keep listening for the next question |
| Vocabulary | You did not recognise a word or a paraphrase | Add it to a list and study synonyms |
Step 3: replay the difficult parts with the transcript
For each mistake, find the place in the recording where the answer is spoken. Listen again while reading the transcript if you have one. Notice how the question was paraphrased, how the speaker signalled the answer and what distracted you. This step teaches you more than doing a new test.
Step 4: keep a mistake log
Write each mistake in a table with the test name, question number, cause and fix. After three or four tests the pattern becomes obvious. If most mistakes are spelling, you do not need more listening; you need a spelling routine. If most are distractors, you need to practise listening for corrections.
Step 5: practise one fix at a time
- For missed answers, practise previewing the questions during the 30 seconds given and underlining keywords.
- For distractors, listen to short dialogues and note every time a speaker changes their mind.
- For spelling, review a list of the words you misspelled, and practise writing them from dictation.
- For lost place, practise skipping a question quickly and re-joining the recording.
Timing and transfer
On paper based tests you have 10 minutes after the recording to copy your answers to the answer sheet, and this is a good time to check spelling and plurals. On computer based tests you type as you listen and have a short time to check. Know which format you are taking and practise in the same way.
Take full sections in our IELTS Listening practice tests, and read the IELTS Listening practice guide for how to prepare section by section.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I take a full Listening test?
Once or twice a week is enough if you review each one properly. Reviewing a test well is worth more than taking a second test.
Is it better to practise whole tests or single sections?
Use single sections to fix a weakness and whole tests to build stamina. Alternate between the two.
Do spelling mistakes really lose marks?
Yes. A misspelled answer is marked wrong. American and British spellings are both accepted, but you must be consistent.
What if I always lose my place in Section 4?
Section 4 is a single academic talk with no break between questions. Practise with short lectures, preview the questions and use the order of the questions to follow the talk.