Habits that make the difference
Read the question before the audioWhen possible, knowing what you're looking for turns passive listening into targeted listening.
Accept that you'll miss wordsMissing one word is fine. Dwelling on it makes you miss the next sentence — and often the answer.
Vary the accentsFrance, Quebec, Belgium, French-speaking Africa: the exam isn't limited to one accent.
Work on note-takingNumbers, dates, places and names: jot them down in short form while listening, not afterwards.
Read the transcript afterwardsThat's where you spot the exact word or phrase that decided the answer.
Costly mistakes
Always replaying during practiceOn exam day, each audio plays only once. Replaying at will during practice skews your assessment.
Listening without reading the questionsWithout a reference point, your attention spreads across the whole recording.
Being trapped by a repeated wordA word you hear several times isn't necessarily the key: distractors play on exactly that.
Listening only to slow podcastsThe exam uses natural speed. Getting used to slow speech doesn't prepare you for the real pace.
Neglecting numbersTimes, prices, quantities: these are the questions most often lost through simple lack of attention.
