The present invention provides methods and apparatus for a wireless terminal to receive channel bursts in a wireless system while the wireless terminal is performing a handover from one base station to another base station. The wireless terminal determines that a handover may be necessary if a handover criterion is satisfied based upon a measurement of the signal quality associated with the current serving base station. If so, the wireless terminal performs measurements for the candidate cells, which are maintained in a candidate list. The wireless terminal will select one of the candidate cells (corresponding to the new serving base station) if the associated signal quality is sufficiently better than the current serving base station. After determining that a handover is necessary and before completing the handover to the new serving base station, the wireless terminal receives a last channel burst from the current serving base station.