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IELTS Scores

About your IELTS results

What does your IELTS score mean? With a 9-Band scale, each IELTS band score reflects different level of English users. You may refer to the IELTS Score Scale and Descriptor, and How to calculate your overall IELTS band score for more.

IELTS 9-Band scale

You will be given a score from 1 to 9 for each part of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The average produces your Overall Band Score. You can score whole (e.g., 5.0, 6.0, 7.0) or half (e.g., 5.5., 6.5, 7.5) bands in each part of the test.

The highest IELTS score is 9 and the lowest is 1, each score is a reflection of different levels of English users. There is no pass or fail in IELTS.

IELTS Score Scale and Descriptor

IELTS Band 9
Expert user
has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.
IELTS Band 8
Very good user
has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacy. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well.
IELTS Band 7
Good user
has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacy and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning.
IELTS Band 6
Competent user
has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacy and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.
IELTS Band 5
Modest user
has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field.
IELTS Band 4
Limited user
basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language.
IELTS Band 3
Extremely limited user
conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur.
IELTS Band 2
Intermittent user
no real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
IELTS Band 1
Non-user
essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words.

View IELTS Band Score System and HKDSE result comparison table

How to calculate your overall IELTS band score?

Your overall band score is calculated by taking the mean score of the four test components (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking). The score for each component is equally weighted. Your overall band score is rounded to the nearest whole or half band.

  1. If you achieve 6.5 for Listening, 6.5 for Reading, 5.0 for Writing and 7.0 for Speaking, your Overall IELTS Band Score would be:
    (6.5 + 6.5 + 5.0 + 7.0) ÷ 4 = 6.25 which is IELTS 6.5
  2. If you achieve 4.0 for Listening, 3.5 for Reading, 4.0 for Writing and 4.0 for Speaking, your Overall IELTS Band Score would be:
    (4.0 + 3.5 + 4.0 + 4.0) ÷ 4 = 3.875 which is IELTS 4

IELTS Listening Scores

IELTS Listening contain 40 questions. Each correct item is awarded one mark, so the maximum raw score you can achieve for each component is 40. Band scores ranging from Band 1 to Band 9 are awarded to candidates on the basis of their raw scores (number of correct answers).

Number of marks required for respective Listening Scores*

No. of Correct Answers IELTS Listening Scores
35 IELTS Band 8
30 IELTS Band 7
23 IELTS Band 6
16 IELTS Band 5

IELTS Speaking Scores

IELTS Examiners use detailed assessment criteria which describe written performance at each of the 9 IELTS bands.

Examiners award a band score for each of four criterion areas: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy; and Pronunciation. The four criteria are equally weighted.

IELTS Reading Scores

IELTS Reading components contain 40 questions. Each correct item is awarded one mark, so the maximum raw score you can achieve for each component is 40. Band scores ranging from Band 1 to Band 9 are awarded to candidates on the basis of their raw scores (number of correct answers).

Number of marks required for respective Reading Scores*

No. of Correct Questions
General Training
No. of Correct Questions
Academic
IELTS Listening
35 IELTS Band 8
34  30 IELTS Band 7
30 23 IELTS Band 6
23 15 IELTS Band 5
16 IELTS Band 4

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IELTS Writing Scores

IELTS Examiners use detailed assessment criteria which describe written performance at each of the 9 IELTS bands.

Examiners award a band score for each of four criterion areas: Task Achievement (for Task 1), Task Response (for Task 2);Coherence and Cohesion;Lexical Resource; Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The four criteria are equally weighted.

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* Provides an approximate band score only

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IELTS Results for Studying Overseas

IELTS is accepted by more than 10,000 organisations in over 145 countries. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular high stakes English-language test.

IELTS assessment criteria

To get a better understanding of the IELTS assessment criteria and the level of performance required to attain a particular band score, please download the PDFs.

IELTS Test Report Form

The Test Report Form shows your IELTS scores for all four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, and your Overall Band Score.

IELTS Score for Australian Universities

Do you have enough bandscore for applying Australian Universities?

Enquiry on Results (EOR)

You can apply for a re-mark, known as an Enquiry on Results (EOR), at your test centre within six weeks of the test date.

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