Advice for Chinese listening exams? I've got an upcoming Chinese listening exam this coming Wednesday but I don't really know what to do apart from repeating the set of ten or so listening tests we have to practice from online. They're all short dialogues some with multiple choice answers and some where you have to fill in blanks in Chinese.

But really I'm seeking some general advice for listening. Does it really just come down to practice? For example is there a technique for those questions where you have a lengthy dialogue and five or so questions to answer (the recording gets played twice, and normally it is impossible at my rather low level to fill all the answers in first time around)?

Sorry if this sounds vague. But I do struggle especially on those types of tests; normally I either get fixated on one line but then don't listen to the rest of the dialogue in that moment. I'm wondering, given it is repeated, it is better to JUST listen on the first time and then answer on the second? But that seems risky too.
Are you learning for the tests, or are you learning for real?

Listen to Chinese radio. Fill your phone with audio books (librivox, tingbook). Watch movies. Immerse yourself, and you will find that those ridiculous tests are too simple for you.