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Tips for IELTS listening multiple choice questions

Any tips for doing multiple choice questions in listening?

Comments for Tips for IELTS listening multiple choice questions

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Jul 18, 2014
 Tips for IELTS listening multiple choice questions
by: IELTS buddy

Hi,

In the multiple choice questions, you often find that you will have three similar choices, and hear ALL of those choices.

For example

1) 1 year
2) 3 years
3) 5 years

But obviously even though the speaker mentions them all, only one is correct.

So listen for things like corrections. e.g.

"I lived there for 3 years, no sorry, 5 years."

So you may hear false information to mislead you.

And look at the question stem very carefully so you know the year you hear is related to the actual question, and not something else.

So obviously you need to listen very carefully to make sure you are getting the right information.

Take a look at this example multiple choice and download and read the scrip at the bottom of the page and you will see what I mean:

IELTS Listening Multiple Choice

Thanks
Jul 22, 2014
 question
by: reet

hi
read the question carefully and underline it. and then listen.
Sep 20, 2014
 MCQs
by: Anonymous

Hello,
Normally we can deal with the short options but for the options available in full sentences can make it difficult. The best way to deal with them is listen accurately and note-taking. You may not get chance to read all the options given so it is important to read all the questions and focus on the audio so that u can pick the correct answer in the time provided to transfer. Note-taking does not require to jot down full sentence but the key words that answer your question.

Hope this will help.

Thanks.
Apr 26, 2017
 The Solution for Listening MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)
by: Speak2Me

When the listening MCQ was initially designed, it was designed back when we could listen to the track TWICE. Since that is no longer the case, this type of question has become significantly harder.

Why is it so hard?
Because the questions are indirect. If the questions were direct, as in the complete part, it would have been much easier. Yet, the MCQ part uses synonyms intentionally to confuse you. It is hard to multi-task; to listen, read, translate and answer all at the same time. If you have a multi-tasking problem, I propose the following solution.

Write notes/keywords of everything that you hear, then use it to answer.

That means don't write what they are saying word for word, just read the questions really well, and whatever you hear that is related to the answers, write it down. This forces you to focus, and allows you to bypass the indirect question problem.

Let me know if it works.
- Amr Ayman

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How can I improve in sections 3 and 4 and on multiple choice questions?

by SINGAM ROHITH
(INDIA)

I think I didn't do well on section 3 and 4, and more often the "Multiple choice Questions".

How can I improve on that?

Comments for How can I improve in sections 3 and 4 and on multiple choice questions?

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Dec 31, 2015
 Improving IELTS Listening Multiple Choice
by: IELTS buddy

Hi SINGAM,

Sections 3 and 4 of the test are more difficult than the first two sections.

So if you are doing worse on these, that is to be expected, but to improve you just need to work on your general listening skills.

The test is assessing how good your listening is, that's all. Your score is simply telling you that you need to work more on improving it.

Of course keep practicing with IELTS tests, but also just do any things that will help to improve your listening rather than just focusing on IELTS skills.

Take a look here for some IELTS advice and some more general advice too:

IELTS Listening Tips.

Also, I have done a lesson on improving your score on multiple choice type questions. Check it out here:

IELTS Listening Multiple Choice Tips

Good luck

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IELTS Multiple Choice Order of Questions

by Esther
(Lagos, Nigeria)

Good day
Thanks for all you do. Please, I want to know, in the multiple choice questions in ielts listening,can my answers also come in different order? Will I be marked down if it doesn't follow that of the speaker(s)?

Thanks for your anticipated response

Comments for IELTS Multiple Choice Order of Questions

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Nov 15, 2020
 IELTS Multiple Choice Order of Questions
by: IELTS buddy

Yes the questions will follow the order of the audio. I'm not sure what you mean about putting them in a different order or why you would do that.

There are some types of question where the order does not matter but they are different types of question.

Always read the instructions carefully as they will tell you what you can and cannot do.

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