IELTS Listening: section 4

Section 4 is the most difficult part of the listening test for the following reasons:

• There is no break in the middle of the 10 questions
• You hear one speaker giving a fairly long talk or lecture
• The speaker will speak quite quickly
• A wider range of vocabulary is used, compared to the other sections

Here's my tip: Don't worry too much about this section. Spend most of your time practising sections 1, 2 and 3.

Try to get as many points from the other three sections as you can, and this will allow you to lose points in section 4. Remember that you can make 10 mistakes and still get a band 7.

Comments

[Raju]

But in my case, I think section 4 is more easier than section 3. I see most of MCQ questions are given in this section 3. Apparently, MCQ problems are very tough compare to other categories. I give my deep attention when I start listening. Unfortunately, I usually fail to correct MCQs.

I wonder, how I'll cope with Multiple choice questions?

[Anne]

@Raju samre here. I find it difficult when it comes to MCQs in part 3

[Robby]

I think section 3 is the most difficult and unfair section, as it's very likely to see multiple choice questions mostly with long and difficult sentences that you have to read them ahead while recording is playing. Most sentences are written in that way that trick you or you need to paraphrase them to get the right answer. I think even native speakers have difficult to read them in within a minute ,compare them and pick up the right answer. As it is very likely if you lost your concentration even for a second, you would lose recording and lose a couple of questions. Some samples which given in Cambridge 12 are really frightening, as you find 10 multiple choice questions, all of them having 3 long and hard-to-understand sentences that you suppose to read them ahead or while hear the recording!. Sometimes I think they really dont like you get desire scores!

[DaNang]

I believe there is "half a minute to check your answers" at the end of each section. Instead of checking at the end of section 2, it is possible to grab an extra half minute to read the multiple choice answers.

[Colton]

@Raju

@Anne

@Robby

For dealing section 3, I learnt a available way from my teacher.Actully we can try to forget about the choices when listing the record, and write down all content we listin as much as possible, then go back to the choices and pick out the correct answer with the note after finishing section 3, it should be easiler than reading multiple choices whilte listing recording.

[Colton]

*listen

[Robby]

@ Colton,

How you can trust your notes written down quickly and trust your memory that probably good at your mother tongue but not in English? You are under stressed and it reduces your efficiency and get confused of what you jot down! I always have problems in dealing with those terrifying questions ! unlike the fact that my listening is not bad as whole

[Yves]

@ROBBY

MCQ.
Advance reading is they key in this type of question. Practice reading fast to improve your comprehension and the ability to paraphrase quickly.

Cheers

[Raju]

Thanks @Colton

To @Robby, you said your score get better instead of having problems with MCQS. What techniques do you apply for MCQS?

They use enormous metaphors in this section 3.

[Anne]

Thanks @Colton. Sometimes I used this technique and I got right answers. But I think its difficult to do all these MCQs by this way @,@

[huong]

most of IELTS learners agree that section 3 is the most difficult because of professional vocabulary, tricks, and speakers speak really quickly. In my case, I feel comfortable in section 4.

[he li]

Sorry ,i don't agree with you
I think the best difficult part is multiple choice question in section 3.Firstly, You have no enough time to read all the questions and choices ,especially choices. Secondly, there are some trick questions,which is a evil thing beyond a listening test, produced by IELTS

[ilkin]

I usually make a mistake (1-2) in the very first section and in MCQs (2-3). Results for Section 4 are almost always free error.

[Simon]

FROM SIMON:

Good points about section 3. It is often harder than section 4, especially if you don't like multiple choice questions!

I'll make a lesson about section 3 soon.

[Caroline Bonelle]

I'm a teacher of IELTS and yesterday some students of mine, having just taken the academic exam a month ago, told me that the questions in section 4 were not in 'chronological' order, unlike all the preparation material (both online and paper) we had used during our course. Is this a recent change to the exam which I have overlooked? Thanks for any help : ) Caroline

[Viktor]

I completely agree with guys that the most difficult part is "Section 3". So that, lesson from Simon would be helpful for all test tackers.

[Simon]

Caroline,

I very much doubt that the questions were in a strange order. Candidates / students don't always remember things properly, or perhaps they missed something.

[Gregor]

Hello Mr. Simon,

I regularly get 0-1 mistake on the section 4 but my mistakes often occur in the first three sections. In your opinion, why does this happen?