How well do you listen? Take this quiz to find out

MAGGIE MZUMARA

Last week, I explored the importance of listening and shared practical tips to help improve this essential skill.

Following that discussion, several readers requested more insights on the topic.

In response, this week I present the “How well do you listen quiz? —a self-assessment tool designed to help you evaluate your listening habits and better understand the areas where improvement may be needed.

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each of the 20 questions below. When done, grade yourself using the key at the bottom.

1. When someone is speaking to you, what is the first thing you do?
2. a) Think about your response
3. b) Give the speaker your full attention
4. c) Check your phone for messages
5. d) Interrupt to ask questions

2. How do you show you are engaged and interested in the conversation?
3. a) By maintaining eye contact and nodding
4. b) By checking your phone for messages
5. c) By interrupting to share your own thoughts
6. d) By daydreaming

3. What do you do when you do not understand something the speaker is saying?
4. a) You ask clarifying questions
5. b) You pretend to understand
6. c) You interrupt to share your own thoughts
7. d) You tune out

4. How do you handle distractions while someone is speaking?
5. a) You try to multi-task
6. b) You give the speaker your full attention
7. c) You get defensive
8. d) You tune out

5. What is your primary goal when listening to someone?
6. a) To respond quickly
7. b) To understand the speaker’s perspective
8. c) To show you are smarter than the speaker
9. d) To dominate the conversation

6. How do you respond when someone is sharing their feelings with you?
7. a) You offer solutions
8. b) You listen empathetically
9. c) You dismiss their feelings
10. d) You change the subject

7. What do you do when you disagree with the speaker?
8. a) You interrupt to share your own thoughts
9. b) You listen to their perspective and then share your own
10. c) You become defensive
11. d) You tune out

8. How do you ensure you understand the speaker’s message?
9. a) By paraphrasing and summarising
10. b) By interrupting to ask questions
11. c) By pretending to understand
12. d) By tuning out

9. What type of questions do you ask to clarify understanding?
10. a) Open-ended questions
11. b) Closed-ended questions
12. c) Leading questions
13. d) Rhetorical questions

10. How do you handle emotional or sensitive topics?
11. a) You listen empathetically
12. b) You become defensive
13. c) You dismiss the speaker’s feelings
14. d) You change the subject

11. What is the benefit of active listening?
12. a) It helps to build trust and understanding
13. b) It creates conflict and tension
14. c) It shows you are not interested in the other person
15. d) It is not important in relationships

12. How do you prioritise listening in your daily life?
13. a) You make time to listen to others
14. b) You are too busy to listen
15. c) You prioritise speaking over listening
16. d) You don’t think listening is important

13. What do you do when you are feeling distracted or preoccupied?
14. a) You try to focus on the speaker
15. b) You let the speaker know you are distracted
16. c) You tune out
17. d) You interrupt to share your own thoughts

14. How do you show empathy and understanding?
15. a) By nodding and maintaining eye contact
16. b) By interrupting to share your own thoughts
17. c) By dismissing the speaker’s feelings
18. d) By changing the subject

15. What is the difference between hearing and listening?
16. a) Hearing is a physical process, while listening is a mental process
17. b) Hearing is a mental process, while listening is a physical process
18. c) Hearing and listening are the same thing
19. d) Hearing is more important than listening

16. How do you handle conflicting opinions or perspectives?
17. a) You listen to the other person’s perspective
18. b) You become defensive
19. c) You interrupt to share your own thoughts
20. d) You tune out

17. What do you do when you are unsure about something the speaker is saying?
18. a) You ask clarifying questions
19. b) You pretend to understand
20. c) You interrupt to share your own thoughts
21. d) You tune out

18. How do you prioritise understanding over being understood?
19. a) You focus on listening to others
20. b) You prioritise sharing your own thoughts
21. c) You try to dominate the conversation
22. d) You don’t think it’s important

19. What is the benefit of effective listening in relationships?
20. a) It helps to build trust and understanding
21. b) It creates conflict and tension
22. c) It shows you are not interested in the other person
23. d) It’s not important in relationships

20. How do you continue to improve your listening skills?
21. a) By practicing active listening
22. b) By interrupting to share your own thoughts
23. c) By tuning out
24. d) By not prioritising listening

Scoring Key

1. b) Give the speaker your full attention
2. a) By maintaining eye contact and nodding
3. a) You ask clarifying questions
4. b) You give the speaker your full attention
5. b) To understand the speaker’s perspective
6. b) You listen empathetically
7. b) You listen to their perspective and then share your own
8. a) By paraphrasing and summarising
9. a) Open-ended questions
10. a) You listen empathetically
11. a) It helps to build trust and understanding
12. a) You make time to listen to others
13. a) You try to focus on the speaker
14. a) By nodding and maintaining eye contact
15. a) Hearing is a physical process, while listening is a mental process
16. a) You listen to the other person’s perspective
17. a) You ask clarifying questions
18. a) You focus on listening to others
19. a) It helps to build trust and understanding
20. a) By practicing active listening

Scoring

For each question, assign yourself:

– 3 points for every correct answer

– 0 points for every incorrect answer

Interpretation

– 51-60 points: Excellent listener! You prioritize listening and make an effort to understand others.

– 31-50 points: Good listener! You have some areas for improvement, but you’re on the right track.

– 0-30 points: Room for improvement! You may need to work on prioritizing listening and understanding others.

Maggie Mzumara is a Communication and Media Strategist; Corporate Trainer, Transformational Speaker and Leadership Consultant. She writes here in her personal capacity, and the views expressed do not reflect those of the organisations she is affiliated with. She can be reached at maggiemzumara@yahoo.ie