This study reports on an investigation into the effects of multiple listening support on learners’ comprehension and perceptions of this support among college students learning English (N=144). Test takers listened to three different oral input texts with varying combinations of listening support embedded in a test design (topical knowledge plus repeated input, vocabulary preview plus repeated input, topical knowledge plus vocabulary preview). A short questionnaire regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of the listening support was filled out immediately after they finished each subtest. The result showed that, on the whole, the provision of topical knowledge plus repeated input was the most effective in enhancing listening comprehension, followed by vocabulary preview plus repeated input, but on significant difference was shown between the two test versions. The combination of topical knowledge and vocabulary preview, but without the repetition of input, produced the least salient effect. Whoever, if the input text feature was considered, there was no systematic result shown, which meant the level of text difficulty played an important role in the effectiveness of the listening support. In contrast to the results of two earlier studies showing that vocabulary preview had no immediate effect on listening comprehension, this study provided a clearer view regarding the effect of vocabulary preview in a listening test task. Various reasons for the difference in findings are presented. This paper provides some considerations for using listening support in the design of a listening test, and suggests there is scope for future research.