Test-taking Techniques and the Listening Performance of IELTS Test-Takers across Proficiency Levels: Effects and Percepts

Although abundant research has addressed test-taking techniques in relation to the IELTS, there is a dearth of investigations examining the influence of such techniques on IELTS test-takers' listening performance across proficiency levels. Accordingly, this study, adopting an explanatory mixed-methods design, probed the effect of test-taking techniques on B1 and B2 level learners' IELTS listening scores. The participants comprised 62 B1-level and 63 B2-level learners who were divided into two experimental and two control groups. In the two experimental groups, 16 test-taking techniques were explicitly taught and practiced. Prior and after the treatment, the four groups received listening pretest and posttest. After finishing the treatment, 15 participants in each experimental group took part in semi-structured interviews. The results of quantitative analysis indicated that teaching test-taking techniques significantly improved both B1 and B2-level learners' listening performance scores with the B1-level learners outscoring their B2-level counterparts. The results of qualitative data analysis revealed five themes for the B1-level learners and four themes for the B2-level learners. Moreover, the results showed that B1-level learners obtained a substantially higher number of themes and theme instances compared to B2-level learners. The results are discussed and implications for language learning, teaching, and testing are provided.