LISTENING CONTEST

Last Updated:  8/10/03

• ENTRIES.     As many as THREE students from EACH GRADE LEVEL (grades 5, 6, 7 and 8) may be entered in the LISTENING SKILLS District Contest from each school.  Designated adults representing each school will select contestants to represent the campus at the District Meet based on their abilities to listen and take quick and detailed notes on information read aloud, as well as other  factors, which  are  decided  upon by each school. Each grade level is judged separately in contest.

• NATURE OF THE CONTEST.    The Listening Skills contest tests the contestant’s ability to listen carefully and recall intricate detail.  Note taking skills are enriched through preparation for this contest.  Practice in notetaking not only enables students to prepare best for competition, it also sharpens skills for writing down important information to be tested in any subject area.  Contestants listen to a recording of a passage of primarily objective material.  The material could be about any subject.  Some subjects included in the past have included historical information, geographical articles, travel to different places, and subject information (such as How to . . .).  Each year, at least one of the articles used in competition is about a person.  
After taking notes while listening to the recorded passage, contestants are given a10-minute, 30-item multiple choice, true/false test over the passage.

• WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CONTEST.    The contest director will announce the time and place that contestants and one adult should report for verification of the scoring of tests.  Two sheets of plain paper will be distributed to each contestant.  No writing should be done on the paper until the start signal is given.  Tests will be distributed to contestants face up, and contestants will be instructed to write their grade levels and their contestant ID numbers in the spaces provided on the front cover.  Contestants must not open the test until the start signal is given. The contest director will tell contestants their ID numbers, usually during roll call. (Alternates taking the place of absent registered contestants should be sure to let the contest director know as they enter the room to save time in roll call.)  No alarm watches or other devices that emit sound are allowed in the contest room.
The recorded passage (usually in a male voice) will then be played for contestants.  Notes may only be taken on the blank paper during the time that the passage is playing and approximately 30 seconds after the recording is completed.
 
TIME ALOTTED. When the start signal is given, contestants will have 10 minutes to use their notes to answer the 30 objective test questions.  Contestants will remain quietly in their seats until the time has expired.

MARKING ANSWERS.  Contestants may write on the test paper, but only the capital letter answer should be written in the answer space on the answer sheet.  ERASURES AND MARKOUTS IN THE ANSWER SPACE ARE NOT PERMITTED.  Any marking in the answer space will constitute an attempt.

• SCORING.     Add 5 points for each correct answer.   Subtract 2 points for each incorrect answer, or for each answer that was marked through or erased. No points are added or deducted for skipped or unanswered test items.

• VERIFICATION PERIOD.     No pens or pencils should be in contestants’ hands while tests and answer sheets with keys are reviewed.  Contestants and ONE coach OR parent OR adult have 15 minutes to check the computation of scores and ask questions about items counted incorrect.  If the contest is held before March 31, tests must be turned back in to the contest director.  Contestants will be disqualified from the contest should the paper be taken from the room prior to this date.  After verification has been completed, awards will be issued. (At State, medals will be awarded through 6th place.)

• MATERIALS.  Last year’s PSIA Listening Skills tests and answer keys, plus tests from previous PSIA contests, are included in the PSIA Academic Study Materials Booklets, which may be ordered from the PSIA office.  A PSIA Study Materials Order Forms for these booklets are included in the appendix of the PSIA Academic Handbook, as well as through this link.
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Staff Support
Patricia Walters, Ed.D., Executive Director
Phone: (817) 416-9504
Fax: (817) 416-9576
E-mail: psia@flash.net