How To Score Higher On the CELPIP Listening Exam

To score higher on the CELPIP Listening Exam, you must take notes, and you must take notes quickly!

As a native English speaker, I felt surprised by how important note taking was to being able to successfully answer the questions from the Listening section of the CELPIP.

While you could likely make your way through the first set of questions without taking easily enough, you’ll quickly discover that each audio gets longer and more complex which will make it increasingly more difficult for you to remember everything without the aid of notes.

In other words, if you fail to take notes, you’re likely going to struggle.

Here are three of my takeaways from doing the speaking section of the CELPIP exam:

1.Write Quickly!

Like super lighting fast! You can’t waste time choosing your words, instead you need to think more like vomiting stuff onto your paper as you hear it. If you’re trying to use well put together sentences and the greatest words possible, you’re going to miss important bits of information.

So do your best to keep it simple. Keep it quick!

To take notes quickly, make sure you:

• Forget about writing in complete sentences! (You don’t have time!)
• Forget about proper grammar. (You don’t have time.)
• Forget about proper spelling. (You don’t have time!)
• Forget about writing cmplt wrds – complete words. (You don’t have time!)
• Remember: You’re the only one who will see your notes. (So it doesn’t matter how poorly written they are as long as they help you.)
• Remember to practice taking notes as you listen to normal everyday English conversations, news reports, interviews on the radio etc.

Instead, write notes that focus on:

• Getting the gist, not the complete idea.
• Writing single words that will help you remember what the person was talking about.

Divide Your Page Strategically.

When you are listening to multiple speakers, try dividing the page up into sections based on how many speakers there are so that it is easier for you to keep information organized. (The introduction to the question will tell you how many people will be involved in the conversation.)

• Organize each section according to speaker.
• Label each section according to speaker name, gender, job role etc.
• Place notes specific to that person under their heading or column.

Pay Attention To Detail.

• Write names if you hear them.
• Notice what is important to each speaker.
• Note feelings.
• Notice what the speakers are wearing. You likely won’t need to answer specific questions about their clothing, but the question might ask you what the person wearing clothing item X was talking about!
• Listen for outcomes, expectations..

Practice By Taking Notes Often!

The only way to get good at something is by doing it. This is also true about improving your listening and note taking skills.

In order to improve your skills, challenge yourself to listen to something each day in English. While you are listening, try and take notes about the most important points being talked about. Can you reconstruct the gist (main ideas or message) being conveyed with your notes?

Finally, by consistently listening to something each day and taking notes about what you hear, you will quickly begin to see your listening skills improve.