When students take the TOEFL exam, it can be tricky for them to face the listening section. Paying attention to every section is crucial. However, TOEFL listening practice should be done properly. At the beginning of the exam, learners must struggle to keep up with the speed of recording in distinct accents. Hence, they make some common mistakes.

When learners encounter difficulties in the test, they tend to make errors. They should take a TOEFL listening practice test with audio and answers. Hence, students can develop their listening skills and excel in the exam.

8 Common Mistakes to Avoid During the TOEFL Listening Test

It is common for students to make mistakes during the exam. However, if they are familiar with the kind of mistakes learners usually make, they can avoid them. This way, they can prevent their low scores on the test. Here are the top common mistakes to avoid during the listening test:

Blindly Listening to the Audio

Not knowing the audio’s goal or subject is one of the most frequent errors in TOEFL listening. Before you begin, try to grasp the audio’s context and the details it contains. This will help you find solutions in a faster and more forward-thinking way. Additionally, reading the questions in advance will make it easier for you to identify the relevant information when listening to the audio portion of the listening test.

Getting Distracted

When applicants are unable to find their answers, they lose focus, which is another common listening mistake in the TOEFL exam. This may cause you to become distracted and ultimately lose focus. You won't lose more than one mark for leaving out a single question. Either leave the question fully or write your best guess in the hopes that it will be the correct response. Taking regular TOEFL listening practice tests with audio and answers will help you overcome this issue.

Not Following the Given Rules

Students are required to follow the given instructions at the start of the exam. The Listening Test rules are not to be ignored. After thoroughly reviewing the questions and rules, draft your responses carefully. ‘Answer in No More than Two Words' is one example of the instructions given. After that, you have to write one or two words, no matter what. Even if your response is accurate, you won't receive credit if it is only three words long.

Refraining from Using Prediction Skills

Through response to the questions, the TOEFL Listening assesses a candidate's listening skills and basic understanding of the subject. Students are so busy paying close attention to the audio and grasping the hints that they neglect to make decisions before the activity begins. Hence, highlight the terms that will help you guess the response. Focus on the terms used, together with their synonyms and paraphrases. That section of the audio may contain the solution you're looking for.

Avoiding Distractors

The TOEFL Listening test uses distractors to confuse students. The applicant may be misled or confused by those incorrect choices that seem to be correct replies. The speaker in the Listening audio of the TOEFL may give the impression that they are trying to puzzle the audience by hiding the answer among the distractors. If you don't recognize the issue quickly, you'll give the wrong answer.

Making Grammatical and Spelling Errors

In the Listening test of TOEFL, every misspelled word will be marked wrong. If you misspell any of the locations, cities, nations, or addresses that are there in the audio, you will also receive a lower grade. When grading your responses, grammatical errors are also taken into account. It's critical to practice these common listening errors. To learn proper English, read books and newspapers. To learn how sentences are put together, listen to as many podcasts as you can.

Leaving Blank Answers

Answers that remain blank in the Listening module of the TOEFL do not carry any kind of negative marking. Thus, you can guess if you don't know the answer to a specific question in the test. If you leave the answer sheet blank, you do not lose points. You make the risk of writing the correct response in the incorrect place if you leave a blank space. Students might face problems due to this. Hence, guessing is better than leaving blanks on the answer sheet.

Filling Out the Answer Sheet While Listening to the Audio

The Listening test of the TOEFL allows you to hear the audio once. Thus, you mustn't become sidetracked or overlook the facts. Try to avoid such mistakes in the test. After the audio is finished, you have ten more minutes to move your answers onto the answer sheet. By doing this, you can steer clear of typical errors on the exam. Take a TOEFL listening practice test with audio and answers for better practice.

Final Words

The listening test of the TOEFL is not very tough. However, it can be said that it is tricky. Due to this, you make a few mistakes that are very common among TOEFL test-takers. The above-listed pointers can help you know the common errors in the listening test. This way, you can avoid them during your exam. Also, taking TOEFL coaching online can be helpful for learners. This way, you can score well on the exam and get a good experience. Start preparing today and get your desired band in the TOEFL exam.