This article will help you answer APTIS listening part I: Information recognition questions more effectively.
WHAT IS THE APTIS LISTENING PART 1 LIKE?
The Aptis Listening Test contains 17 tasks and a total of 25 different questions focusing on different aspects of real-life listening.
The first part of the APTIS listening test is called: Information Recognition. It is a multiple-choice test, meaning that you chose one answer from a selection of three. Look at the example below.
You may hear either a short dialogue (two people talking), a monologue (one person talking) or a recorded message and you will need to identify the exact information you need to answer the question correctly.
For further information, please visit British Council website here.
Example: Listen to the short tracks and answer the questions.
Below is an example of typescript:
“This again? Come on, mum. You know I don’t like tuna. It would be different if it were another type of fish, but yuck! How about ordering pizza instead? Wouldn’t that be so delicious? And that way, you won’t have to defrost anything for dinner, like chicken.”
1. A child is talking to his mother. What does the child want for dinner?
A. Pizza
B. Fish
C. Chicken
In part 1 of the listening test, there are thirteen questions like this. If you would like to access simulated APTIS listening tests then click here.
How to Tackle Above Question And Other General Tips
Analyse the questions and options
Read the Question. It may seem obvious, but you will only give the right answer if you understand the question. In the example above, the keyword is ‘what’. Therefore, the correct answer will be a thing.
Look at the options. The options above confirm that you will be listening for a type of food.
Be careful of ‘distractors’. Distractors are words that are included in the text which sound like they might be the answer but aren’t.
These are often used in questions where there are numbers. Students expect a number and write that what they first hear, but then there is another number, or the number they first hear is corrected.
In the question options above there are no distractors, but there are some in the listening. You will see from the tapescript that the listening contains all the question options and so you will have to distinguish which one is correct.
In the listening, we hear the following information. The child doesn’t like tuna. He says that his mother doesn’t have to defrost anything. He makes the suggestion ‘how about tuna?’ Therefore, option A is correct.
Be ready for the information
Think about the situation. An important strategy in all listening tests is preparing yourself for the answer so that you recognise it when you hear it.
It is very helpful to think about the situation before you listen (the technical expression for this is ‘activating schemata’). In the example given above, we are not interested in information about the mother, only what the child wants.
Before you listen, think about this particular situation and what would a mother and child say if they were talking about what to have for dinner? Also, think about who is going to answer the question. In this question, it is about what the child wants, and we can guess that he will probably answer.
Use your English grammar. You can reject any information you hear related to the past, i.e. We had tuna yesterday or Why don’t we have chicken tomorrow? Because you are listening for something which is generally true or a routine (present simple).
Listen carefully for negative auxiliaries used as distractors- isn’t/doesn’t/haven’t etc. You should hear these clearly because they are words which are stressed in sentences.
Listen for the ‘introduction words/keywords’. These are the important words that come before and in the information you need to answer the question.
In the case of the example, you are listening for a type of food and you a ready to reject distractors.
Now you need to prepare yourself the answer.
The child may not say something like: ‘I want pizza’. They may use a synonym ‘How about ordering pizza?’.
Reject incorrect options. We may have discussed that the child is probably going to provide us with the answer and that he may say what he wants or give other options.
To be sure that we find the right answer, we should reject the other options ‘I don’t like tuna’, or reject the option ‘you won’t have to defrost anything, like chicken’.
Flagging
In the APTIS listening test, you have the opportunity to flag questions. This means that you can highlight them and go back to them later. Maybe you want to re-read or review them. Or you could want to listen to them a second time.
You can listen to all of the questions in the APTIS Listening twice. However, you have 40 minutes to complete the test and you will need to give yourself time to listen to all of it.
Flagging questions means that you can move on and make sure that you answer all the other questions before returning to the questions you weren’t sure about.
Part 1 of the APTIS listening test is the easiest because the listenings are short and the questions straightforward. This means that although you want to get as many part 1 questions as possible right, you should also try to spend the minimum amount of time completing it.
Listening again. It is tempting to listen to everything in part 1 twice and as a consequence, spend too long on it. You must try to balance being sure you know the answer, with making sure you answer all the questions.
Different candidates have different techniques but in general:
· Try to do all the part 1 questions with just one listen.
· If you need to ‘warm-up’ listen to the first five questions twice.
· Flag any questions that you weren’t sure of and return to them at the end.
· Listen to all the part 1 question you have flagged. They are easier and you should get them right.
· If you have time, try replaying the part 1 dialogues, monologues, etc in your head. This will often make the correct answer much clearer to you.
· Make sure that you answer all the questions because guesses often work and you don’t lose makes for incorrect answers.
Other General TIPs and Strategies To Prepare for APTIS Listening
Audio scripts: When choosing or searching for practice tests, try and find ones with scripts. Scripts are the word-for-word written texts of the audio you listen to. It is a good idea to first listen without the script and then with the script. Use the script to confirm why your answer was right, or to tell you what you did wrong.
Listen as much as you can in English: Live talk radio, podcasts, TED talks, documentaries (these work well because there is not too much fast dialogue and the pictures help confirm what you hear) English Movies, English Cartoons, etc.)
Practice your English with your speaking partner: This will not only enable you to improve your speaking but enhance your listening skills too.
Polish your topic vocabulary: Most vocabulary books are set out in topics- Holidays, work, sport, shopping, music etc. By learning your vocabulary by topic then you will be more prepared if it comes up in the exam.
The power of music: Music is a great aid to memory. Memorising words that you like and remembering lyrics will help your vocabulary and grammar, as well as improving your listening skills.
The excitement of film: Films (or ‘movies’) help us predict what will be said by providing visual cues. The body language of an actor – as well as their tone of voice – give signs of what is about to be said, so it will help your English comprehension. Also, the more interested you are, the harder you will listen.
Think In English: This is not easy if you live in a country that is non-native English speaking, but you could change the operating system on your phone, tablet or laptop to English. Play a game with your friends where everyone has to speak English for an hour (try to make it funny by trying to sound as English as possible). Have a day when you only listen to or watch things that are in English. Practice situations or dialogues when you are travelling or don’t have anything to do.
Try as many as practice APTIS tests: Doing practice tests will help you build your concentration levels and your instinct. More than that, practice will improve your English and help you with the timings you need to complete the test with the best result. If you would like to increase your APTIS score by practicing more listening practice tests then please check the exam library in our website here. There you will find largest simulated APTIS test database. Totally free with no registration (we won't even ask for your email).
