<![CDATA[Abstract. Metacognitive strategies in listening practice shape students’ preparation for standardized listening tests and enhance both their listening performance and learning awareness. Using a mixed-method. For the quantitative analysis, authors use a longitudinal observational design, and for qualitative analysis, authors employ thematic analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of students’ learning experiences. A total of 25 students participated in this study and were selected using a purposive sampling method. The selection criterion is enrollment in the Professional Listening and Speaking course at the time of the study. This criterion is applied to ensure that the participants have relevant experience with listening practice and were directly involved in the learning activities examined in the research. Quantitative data were obtained from the pre-test and post-test of the professional listening and speaking course. Additionally, students’ written narratives were acquired to complement the quantitative data. Furthermore, the qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews to see students’ perceptions of their learning process. Students’ written narratives were quantified by the use of MAXQDA to generate frequencies, and pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed using ANOVA. Thematic analysis used to analyze students’ perceptions from the semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students actively employed metacognitive strategies such as planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Whether students demonstrated any improvement after applying metacognitive strategies in their learning process. More importantly, the implementation of these strategies encouraged students to become more aware of their listening challenges, particularly in understanding unfamiliar vocabulary and different accents, while also helping them recognize their own learning progress. These findings suggest that metacognitive listening strategies play a significant role not only in improving listening achievement but also in fostering students’ self-awareness, confidence, and self-regulated learning during standardized listening test preparation.Keywords: EFL University Students, Metacognitive Strategies, Standardized Listening Test, Listening Strategies]]>
