Did you notice the spelling error in the article title? It should be “IELTS Listening” instead of “ILETS Listening.” Thank you for pointing it out.

Moving on to the purpose of the article, it aims to discuss strategies for solving MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) type of questions in the IELTS Listening module. MCQs can be challenging, and candidates often feel anxious about them. Let’s explore strategies for different difficulty levels of MCQ questions:

Strategy 1 – Underline Keywords:

The most important strategy for solving MCQ questions is to underline the keywords.

MCQ Difficulty Level – Easy:

In easy MCQs, you will encounter options consisting of one or two words. It is relatively simple to focus on both the audio and the question simultaneously. For example:

Which of the two things are included in the tour cost?

– Accommodation

– Picnic

– Fishing trip

– Table tennis

– Restaurant meal

In this question, the keywords to concentrate on are “two things” and “tour cost.” From the options, “accommodation” and “picnic” are one-word choices that can be easily focused on. However, while you should emphasize words like “fishing,” “tennis,” and “meal” in the other three options, you should not completely ignore the other words.

Strategy 2 – Moderate MCQs:

Moderate MCQs present options in the form of short statements. Once you identify a few main keywords in these statements, solving them becomes easier. For example:

In the year 1994, Michael Willson went to Japan

– As a part-time student

– As a volunteer worker

– As a businessman

In this question, underline only the main keywords, as highlighted above, and disregard prepositions and determiners.

Strategy 3 – Advanced MCQs:

Advanced MCQs pose a higher level of difficulty as you need to understand the audio conversation while focusing on all the options. For example:

What problem did the company face in 1999?

– Not meeting the targets leading to reduced sales

– Market strategy was weak as compared to competitors

– Media started criticizing the company for its failures

In this question, the options contain longer statements. To tackle them, understand the main aspects and underline the keywords that define those aspects. Additionally, keep the overall gist of the MCQ question in mind while listening to the audio. In the example above, while reviewing the options, focus on the problem faced by the company—whether it was reduced sales, weak market strategy, or media criticism.

Another crucial strategy is to identify the “focus” or “stem” of the question to carefully select the correct option. Let’s modify the above question as an example:

What major problem did the company face in 1999?

– Not meeting the targets leading to reduced sales

– Market strategy was weak as compared to competitors

– Media started criticizing the company for its failures

In this modified question, the word “major” becomes the focus. You should choose the option that represents a problem with a significant impact on the company, rather than any problem.

By employing these strategies based on the difficulty level of MCQs, you can improve your performance in the IELTS Listening test. Practice with various listening materials and work on enhancing your listening comprehension skills. Best of luck with your preparation!