How Are Your Listening Skills?
A Quick Self-Rating Quiz

The following quiz is designed to show you what skills are necessary to be a good listener.

Answer these questions by grading your Listening Behaviors. Read the question and think about whether the statements are true of you. If the statement is always true of you, select an "Always" from the menu under the column that says "my grade." If the statement is not always true of you, then choose "Sometimes". "Rarely" would indicate that you would rarely or never listen that way.
  Listening Behavior My grade
1. I allow speakers to complete sentences before I speak.
2. I make sure I understand the other person's point of view before I respond.
3. I listen for the speaker's important points.
4. I try to understand the speaker's feelings.
5. I attempt to visualize my response before I speak.
6. I visualize the solution before speaking.
7. I am in control, relaxed, and calm when listening.
8. I use listening noises such as yes, gee, I see.
9. I take notes when someone else is speaking.
10. I listen with an open mind.
11. I listen even if the other person is not interesting.
12. I listen even if the other person is a moron.
13. I look directly at the person speaking.
14. I am patient when I listen.
15. I ask questions to be sure I understand the speaker.
16. I do not allow distractions to bother me when I listen.

GRADING INFORMATION

If you have mostly Always (14 to 16) you are an excellent listener. If you marked 11 to 13 statements as Always you are a good listener but could use some help in a few areas. If you marked Always for 7 to 10 statements, you are a fair listener. If you marked Always for 4 to 6 statements, you are a poor listener. Less than 4 indicates an extremely poor listener.