English LanguageICSE Class 9 · Chapter 7

ICSE Class 9 Listening Skills: How the Test Works and How to Score

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Not in the CBSE annual exam course structure.

Listening is part of the 20-mark English internal assessment in ICSE. Your school reads aloud a passage of about 300 words twice, first at normal speed and then more slowly. You may make brief notes, then answer an objective test on paper. Class IX has three such assessments in the year, together with speaking.

What Listening Skills is about

Listening skills are assessed in school, not in the written board paper. The CISCE English syllabus for the 2028 examination sets out the pattern:

'A passage of about 300 words is read aloud by the examiner twice, the first time at normal reading speed (about 110 words a minute) and the next time at a slower speed.'
'Candidates may make brief notes during the readings.'
'They then answer an objective type test based on the passage, on the paper provided.'
About 30 candidates sit at a time.

In Class IX schools hold three assessments in the course of the year (two in Class X). The English Language internal assessment is worth 20 marks: 10 for listening and 10 for speaking. The subject teacher and an external examiner (a teacher nominated by the Head of the School who does not teach your section) each assess you.

CISCE's grading guidelines for the aural assignment judge four things: understanding of the central idea and relevant points, recall of the important points, vocabulary used while recalling, and context, i.e. how well you understand the passage and relate it to other areas. Each criterion is graded from I (best) to IV.

Weightage: Internal assessment, not the written paper: listening carries 10 of the 20 internal marks for English Language (speaking carries the other 10). Class IX: three assessments in the year.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 English syllabus, Internal Assessment, Paper 1 - English Language

Key concepts

How the test runs: 1. The examiner reads a passage of about 300 words at normal speed (about 110 words a minute, so under three minutes).
2. The examiner reads it again, more slowly.
3. You may jot brief notes during both readings.
4. You answer objective questions on paper.
You never see the passage, so everything depends on attention and notes. The first reading is for the gist and structure; the second is for details you missed.; Worked example
You have two readings. What should you do in each?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Reading 1: listen for the topic, the speaker's purpose and the order of ideas; note key words.
Reading 2: fill gaps: names, numbers, reasons, examples.
Answer: First reading: big picture and a skeleton of notes. Second reading: details added to the skeleton.
Brief notes that work: You cannot write every word at 110 words a minute. Write key words, numbers and names only, using abbreviations and symbols: → (leads to), ↑ (increase), ≠ (not), b/c (because), e.g. (example), & (and). Write down numbers, dates, names and lists at once, since they are the easiest to forget and the most often tested.; Worked example
Make notes from: 'The Sundarbans, shared by India and Bangladesh, is the largest mangrove forest in the world and home to about a hundred Royal Bengal tigers.'
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Keep the name, the two countries, 'largest mangrove', the number and the animal.
Answer: Sundarbans – Ind & Bangl – largest mangrove (world) – ~100 R. Bengal tigers
Listening for signposts: Speakers signal structure with signpost words: 'firstly', 'another reason', 'however', 'as a result', 'for example', 'finally', 'in short'. 'However' warns of a contrast (a common question); 'as a result' introduces an effect; 'finally' marks the last point of a list. Noting these helps you answer questions on sequence, cause and contrast.; Worked example
'Many thought the bridge would be finished in a year. However, the monsoon washed away the foundations twice.' What would a question on this most likely test?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
'However' signals that expectations were not met.
The cause follows: the monsoon.
Answer: Why the bridge was not finished on time (the monsoon destroyed the foundations twice).
Objective questions: traps to avoid: Objective tests (multiple choice, true/false, completing a sentence) often include distractors: options that use words you heard but in the wrong relationship. Check each option against your notes, not against your memory of a word. Watch for negatives ('which is NOT mentioned'), numbers that are close (13 vs 30), and options that are true in general but not stated in the passage.; Worked example
The passage said: 'The library opens at nine, but on Sundays it opens at eleven.' Question: When does the library open on Sundays? (a) 9 a.m. (b) 11 a.m. (c) It is closed (d) 10 a.m.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
'Nine' is a distractor: it is the weekday time.
'But on Sundays' gives the answer.
Answer: (b) 11 a.m.
The CISCE grading criteria: CISCE's guidelines grade the aural assignment on four criteria, each from Grade I (3 marks) to Grade IV (0):
1. Understanding: the central idea and the relevant points.
2. Recall: the important points made.
3. Vocabulary: appropriate, correct words while recalling the points.
4. Context/correlation: understanding the context and relating the passage to other areas.
The syllabus gives listening 10 marks in all; how a school converts grades to the 10 marks is for the school to decide.; Worked example
A pupil gets the main idea right but remembers only two of six key points. Which criteria are strong and which weak?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Understanding of the central idea: strong.
Recall of important points: weak.
Answer: Understanding is near Grade I; recall is about Grade III. Better notes in the second reading would lift the recall grade.

Listening Skills in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Listening for key details

Suppose a railway announcement says your train will now leave from platform 7 instead of 4, at 6.40 instead of 6.15.

What must you catch, and how?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Listen for the numbers and the change signal ('instead of').
Note them at once, on your phone or a ticket.

Answer: Numbers and changes are the critical details in real announcements, exactly as in the listening test.

Memory hook: Numbers first, before they fly.

Gist first, details second

Imagine your coach explains a new game plan twice before a match.

How should you use the two explanations?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

First time: what is the overall plan?
Second time: who does what, when?

Answer: Two hearings work best when the first gives the shape and the second fills the details, which is how the two readings in the test should be used.

Memory hook: Shape, then fill.

Signposts in speech

Suppose a doctor says, 'Take this twice a day. However, if the fever goes above 102, come back at once.'

Which part matters most, and how did you know?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

'However' introduces an exception.
The exception is the urgent instruction.

Answer: Signpost words like 'however' flag the most important turns in speech, in life and in listening tests.

Memory hook: 'However' means wake up.

Topics in this chapter

The Aural Test: Notes, Signposts and Objective Questions (ICSE Class 9)

How the school exam asks Listening Skills

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Multiple choice on facts and details	'According to the speaker, how many ...?' with four options.	Check numbers, names and dates in your notes; eliminate distractors.
Main idea and purpose	'The passage is mainly about ...' / 'The speaker's purpose is to ...'	Use your first-reading notes on the topic and the conclusion.
Sequence, cause and contrast	'What happened after ...?' / 'Why did ...?' / 'Which statement is NOT true?'	Follow signpost words; read 'NOT' questions twice.
Vocabulary and inference	'The word ... as used by the speaker means ...' / 'We can infer that ...'	Recall the sentence the word was in; choose the inference the passage supports, not general knowledge.

Tricks to remember Listening Skills

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

NNN
Names, Numbers, 'Not's: always write these down.
Use it when: Note-taking during the readings.
Read 1 = map, Read 2 = details
First reading draws the map; second reading fills the towns.
Use it when: Using the two readings.
U-R-V-C
Understanding, Recall, Vocabulary, Context: 'Use Really Vivid Clues'.
Use it when: CISCE's four listening criteria.

Listening Skills: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Practice passage with questions · 4 marks · Short answerExam level

Passage (read aloud twice): 'Every year in October, thousands of Amur falcons arrive in Nagaland after flying from Mongolia and China. They rest for a few weeks before crossing the Arabian Sea to southern Africa, part of a yearly round trip of more than twenty thousand kilometres. Until 2012, many of the birds were trapped for food. Then villagers in Pangti, supported by conservation groups, agreed to stop hunting and began to protect the roosting sites. Today Pangti calls itself the falcon capital of the world, and visitors come to watch the evening skies darken with birds.'
Questions: (a) Where do the falcons come from? (b) Where do they go next? (c) What changed after 2012? (d) The passage is mainly about: (i) bird hunting in Africa (ii) how a village turned from trapping to protecting falcons (iii) the Arabian Sea (iv) tourism in Mongolia.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Notes: Oct – Amur falcons – Nagaland – from Mongolia & China – rest few wks – cross Arabian Sea → S Africa – 20,000+ km – till 2012 trapped – Pangti stopped hunting, protect roosts – 'falcon capital'.
Answer from the notes.

Answer: (a) Mongolia and China. (b) Across the Arabian Sea to southern Africa. (c) The villagers of Pangti stopped hunting the falcons and began to protect their roosting sites. (d) (ii).

Example 2: Spotting the distractor · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

From the falcon passage: 'The yearly round trip is (a) two thousand km (b) more than twenty thousand km (c) twelve thousand km (d) about two hundred km.' Explain how a careless listener might go wrong.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Numbers that sound alike (twenty, twelve, two) are planted as distractors.
Notes taken during the reading settle it.

Answer: (b) more than twenty thousand km. A listener who did not note the number might pick 'two thousand' or 'twelve thousand', which sound similar.

Example 3: Making notes at speed · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Turn this sentence into notes of no more than ten words: 'The new metro line, which will open in March next year, will connect the airport to the railway station in just eighteen minutes, cutting travel time by half.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Keep: what, when, from-to, time, effect.
Use symbols.

Answer: New metro – Mar next yr – airport → rly stn – 18 min – time ½

Example 4: Inference · 1 mark · MCQHOTS / competency

From the falcon passage: 'Visitors come to watch the evening skies darken with birds.' What can we infer? (a) The birds fly only at night. (b) The birds gather in very large numbers. (c) The birds are dangerous. (d) Visitors hunt the birds.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

'Darken the skies' implies huge numbers.
Nothing supports (a), (c) or (d).

Answer: (b) The birds gather in very large numbers.

Example 5: Understanding the grading · 1 mark · Short answerHOTS / competency

Two pupils both answer every question correctly, but one also explains, in the follow-up, how the falcon story connects with protecting tigers in national parks. Which criterion does the second pupil show more strongly?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Look at CISCE's fourth criterion.

Answer: Context/correlation: the ability to understand the passage's context and relate it to other areas.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Aural (listening) assignment: CISCE's four criteria, each graded I to IV (3, 2, 1, 0). The syllabus allots 10 marks to listening; CISCE does not publish how grades convert to the 10 marks, so schools apply their own scaling. (12 marks)

Step	Marks
Understanding of the central idea and relevant points	3
Recall of the important points	3
Appropriate and correct vocabulary in recalling	3
Understanding of context and correlation to other areas	3

Where students lose marks in Listening Skills

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Trying to write every word
Pupils panic and copy sentences, missing what comes next.
Do this: Key words, numbers and names only; use symbols.
Usually costs: Recall of points later in the passage.
Mistake: Ignoring the second reading
Pupils think they have understood and stop listening.
Do this: Use the slower reading to check and fill every gap in your notes.
Usually costs: Detail questions.
Mistake: Choosing an option because a word sounded familiar
Distractors repeat words from the passage in the wrong relationship.
Do this: Match the whole idea of the option against your notes.
Usually costs: Objective items.
Mistake: Answering from general knowledge
Pupils know the topic and answer from memory.
Do this: Only what the speaker said counts.
Usually costs: Inference and 'NOT mentioned' items.

Practice questions on Listening Skills

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 3 marks · Short answerExam level
Ask someone to read this aloud twice, then answer: 'Rice was first grown in Asia about nine thousand years ago. Today it is the main food of more than half the world's people. China and India together grow more than half of the world's rice. Rice needs plenty of water, which is why farmers in dry areas are now trying a method that uses less water by keeping the fields moist rather than flooded.' (a) When was rice first grown? (b) Which two countries grow more than half of the world's rice? (c) What new method are some farmers trying, and why?
Hint
Note the numbers and the 'why'.
Answer
(a) About nine thousand years ago (in Asia). (b) China and India. (c) Keeping fields moist instead of flooding them, because rice needs a lot of water and they live in dry areas.
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level
Write five abbreviations or symbols you will use in listening notes and what each means.
Hint
Choose ones you can read back quickly.
Answer
Any five, e.g. → leads to/goes to; ↑ increase; ↓ decrease; b/c because; e.g. for example; & and; ≠ not/different; ~ about; yr year; govt government.
Q3 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
Which signpost word in a passage warns you that a contrast is coming? (a) moreover (b) however (c) firstly (d) for example
Hint
Contrast = opposite direction.
Answer
(b) however
Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
Why should you write numbers and names immediately, even during the first reading?
Hint
Memory and question types.
Answer
They are the details most easily forgotten or confused (twelve/twenty), and objective questions frequently test them with close distractors.
Q5 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level
A 'NOT mentioned' question lists: (a) the falcons rest in Nagaland (b) the falcons fly to southern Africa (c) the falcons lay eggs in Pangti (d) the falcons were once trapped. Which is the answer, using the falcon passage above?
Hint
Check each against what was said.
Answer
(c) the falcons lay eggs in Pangti: the passage says they rest there, not that they breed.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Plan a home practice routine for the three Class IX listening assessments.
Hint
Use real spoken material and test yourself.
Answer
E.g. three times a week, listen to a 2-3 minute news report or talk (radio, a podcast, a sibling reading a newspaper article); first time for gist, second for details, notes only; write five questions on it and answer them; check against the transcript; track numbers and names you missed.
Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Explain the difference between understanding the 'central idea' and 'recall of important points' in CISCE's criteria, with an example.
Hint
Big picture vs details.
Answer
The central idea is what the passage is mainly about (e.g. a village turning from trapping to protecting falcons); recall is remembering the specific supporting points (where they come from, where they go, the year 2012, the name Pangti).

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.How long is the listening passage?Show answer
About 300 words.
2.How many times is it read, and at what speeds?Show answer
Twice: first at normal speed (about 110 words a minute), then more slowly.
3.How many listening/speaking assessments are held in Class IX?Show answer
Three in the course of the year.
4.How many marks does listening carry?Show answer
10 of the 20 internal assessment marks for English Language.
5.Who assesses you?Show answer
The subject teacher and an external examiner nominated by the Head of the School.
6.What kind of test follows the readings?Show answer
An objective type test on paper.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Can you take notes from a 300-word talk using key words and symbols?
Can you use the first reading for gist and the second for details?
Can you spot signpost words for contrast, cause and sequence?
Can you avoid distractor options with similar numbers or repeated words?
Can you name CISCE's four criteria for listening?

Listening Skills: frequently asked questions

Is listening part of the written board examination?

No. It is an internal assessment conducted by your school; the marks are sent to CISCE in Class X.

Can I take notes?

Yes. The syllabus says candidates 'may make brief notes during the readings'.

How can I practise at home?

Listen to short news reports or talks, have someone read newspaper articles aloud twice, take notes and answer questions you or they set.

Does Class X have the same pattern?

Yes, but with two assessments in the year instead of three.

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2028 English (01) syllabus (Classes IX and X); CISCE Regulations for ICSE Examination Year 2028