IELTS listening tips you'

Below are the IELTS listening tips you'll need in order to get a satisfactory score in the listening section of the IELTS:
Read the instructions carefully. Why? Because even if you would get the right answer, it would be no use if you didn't follow the instructions. For instance, the instructions tell you to write no more than 3 words and you ignoring the instructions, wrote 4 words. Even if the content of your answer is the same, you would still be marked wrong.
Look at the examples given. They will give you a clue as to what kind and form of answers you will need. How are you supposed to write the date? (Should the day or the month come first?) What number do you need? (ordinal or cardinal number)
Learn to predict the answer. Before you get to listen to the tape, you will be given time to look at the questions first. You can use that time to read the questions and know what type of information you will need to get from the conversation or talk. Are you supposed to get a name? An address? A number? A date? A place? With this in mind, you can already predict what the answers are or at least what you are supposed to listen for in the conversation or talk.
Listen carefully. Remember that in the actual exam you only get to listen to the tape once so focus, focus, focus.
Manage your time wisely. You will be advised when to look at the questions, which parts to focus on and when to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Know when you're supposed to move on to the next question or section or else the tape might have already ended and you're still stuck on section 1, waiting for the answer to one of the questions there. You will hear some phrases that would tell you when you already need to move on to the next question. Hearing markers such as 'next, then, we'll now move on to, that's it, and what about', etc. means the topic is already changing.
Your answers should be grammatically correct. Even if you heard the answer in the form of a noun but what's needed in the question is a verb, you have to change the answer's form into what is being asked.
Listen for synonyms and antonyms. The words used in the questions may not be the same as the form of the answer you will hear from the conversation or talk; thus, you have to be alert and expect similar terms will be given as the answer not the exact words to be seen on the paper. Also, different varieties of English would be used so some terms in Britain can be repeated with using American English, etc. so if the answer is ‘apartment’, don’t expect the exact same word to be used. You might hear the word ‘flat’ instead. (apartment is the same as flat)
The answers are often repeated, sometimes by the same speaker and sometimes by another speaker. The answers may be repeated in exactly the same words or maybe just their synonyms will be mentioned. So if you think you missed the answer or didn't hear the answer the first time, don't panic because chances are you will hear the answer again. Just stay focused. Listen to the stressed words too, for answers aside from being repeated are stressed often.
Listen until the part of the talk or conversation that supposedly answers the question is finished before writing your answer because before the conversation ends the speaker might take back what he or she said and change his or her answer.
Your answers must be spelled correctly especially when they are spelled out in the conversation or talk. Correct answers spelled incorrectly will be marked wrong.
Are your answers easy to read? They'd better be or all your efforts might go down the drain.