Prepare to discover how the IELTS score is calculated as we delve into each section of the exam: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Are you ready?
Let’s begin.
IELTS scores range from 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest attainable score. However, the target range typically falls between 6 and 7 for most purposes. It is crucial to verify the specific score requirements for each test component based on your needs.
The test evaluates each component—Writing, Speaking, Reading, and Listening—individually, resulting in an individual score for each section. Your overall exam result comprises scores for each component and an overall band score. This band score is calculated by determining the average of the four individual scores.
The significance of both individual scores and the overall band score varies depending on the purpose of taking the IELTS exam. This distinction is crucial, as different institutions or purposes may have specific score requirements. For instance, universities commonly specify an overall IELTS band score, such as 6.5, with no individual component falling below a certain threshold, like 5.5 or 6.0.
It is important to note that requirements can vary not only between universities but also among different courses within the same university. Therefore, it is imperative to always verify the specific score requirements based on the institution and program you are applying for.
In IELTS scoring, rounding involves adjusting scores to the nearest half or whole number. If an individual’s calculated score falls between two full or half numbers (e.g., 6.25), the score is rounded to the closest permissible value (6.0 or 6.5). This rounding approach simplifies the reporting of scores, ensuring that IELTS results are expressed in precise and easily understandable increments of either 0.5 or 1.0.
For example, a score of 6.75 would be rounded up to the following whole number, resulting in a final score of 7.0. This rounding system facilitates straightforward and transparent communication of test takers’ performance in the IELTS exam.
Here’s a breakdown of how IELTS scores are calculated in several situations.
Person A
Person B
Person C
Person D
Person E
Person F
Writing
7.0
5.0
6.0
8.0
5.5
5.0
Reading
6.5
4.0
7.0
7.5
6.0
5.0
Listening
6.0
4.5
5.5
7.0
6.5
6.0
Speaking
7.5
3.0
6.5
8.0
5.0
4.0
Average
6.75
4.125
6.25
7.625
5.75
5.0
Band Score
7.0
4.0
6.5
7.5
6.0
5.0
The IELTS Band Score Scale comprehensively evaluates your proficiency in all four facets of English: Writing, Speaking, Reading, and Listening.
These band scores offer an objective measure that institutions can utilize to determine your potential for successful study, work, or residence in the country you are applying to.
The following table outlines the overall IELTS scores and their corresponding descriptors:
Band Score
Skill level
Description
Description
Band 9
Expert user
You have a full operational command of the language. Your use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and you show complete understanding.
You’re really good at English. You use it perfectly and understand everything.
Band 8
Very good user
You have a fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. You may misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations. You handle complex detailed argumentation well.
You’re very good, but sometimes you make small mistakes. You might get confused in new situations, but you handle complex topics well.
Band 7
Good user
You have an operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally you handle complex language well and understand detailed reasoning.
You’re good, but sometimes you make mistakes or misunderstand things. You handle difficult language well but might struggle in some situations.
Band 6
Competent user
Generally you have an effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. You can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.
You’re okay. You use English effectively, but there are mistakes and misunderstandings. You can handle complex language in familiar situations.
Band 5
Modest user
You have a partial command of the language, and cope with overall meaning in most situations, although you are likely to make many mistakes. You should be able to handle basic communication in your own field.
You know some English, but you make many mistakes. You can communicate basics in your field.
Band 4
Limited user
Your basic competence is limited to familiar situations. You frequently show problems in understanding and expression. You are not able to use complex language.
You’re okay in familiar situations, but you often struggle to understand or express yourself. Complex language is hard for you.
Band 3
Extremely limited user
You convey and understand only general meaning in very familiar situations. There are frequent breakdowns in communication.
You only understand basic things in familiar situations. Communication often breaks down.
Band 2
Intermittent user
You have great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
You have a hard time understanding spoken and written English.
Band 1
Non-user
You have no ability to use the language except a few isolated words.
You can’t use the language well, except for a few words.
Band 0
Did not attempt the test
You did not answer the questions.
You did not answer the questions.
Let’s examine each section individually, starting with the IELTS Listening component.
Listening Module
In the IELTS Listening section, you will encounter 40 questions, with each correct answer earning you one point. These points are subsequently translated into bands. While IELTS does not disclose the complete scoring table, specific score thresholds are known. Achieving a band 7 requires correctly answering 30 questions; for a band 8, you need 35 correct responses.
Listening Test: Raw Score Conversion
Raw score
(out of 40)
39-40
37-38
35-36
32-34
30-31
26-29
23-25
Raw score
(out of 40)
9
8.5
8
7.5
7
6.5
6
Raw score
(out of 40)
18-22
16-17
13-15
10-12
8-10
6-7
4-5
Raw score
(out of 40)
5.5
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
For both IELTS Listening and Reading, no points are deducted for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is advisable to make an educated guess even if you are unsure of the answer, as there is a chance of guessing correctly.
Reading Module
Let’s discuss the IELTS Reading component. It’s important to note that there are two versions of the IELTS exam: Academic and General Training. The Academic version features more intricate and scientific passages, making the questions slightly more complex than the General Training version. Consequently, it would help if you answered more questions correctly in the General Training module to achieve the same score as in the Academic module.
To illustrate, for a band 7 in IELTS Academic, you must answer 30 questions, while in IELTS General Training, it requires answering 34 questions. Similarly, band 8 requires you to answer 35 questions in IELTS Academic and 38 in IELTS General Training.
IELTS Academic Reading: Raw Score Conversion
Band Score
Academic Reading
Correct Answers
General Reading
Correct Answers
Band 9
39-40
40
Band 8.5
37-38
39
Band 8
35-36
37-38
Band 7.5
33-34
36
Band 7
30-32
34-35
Band 6.5
27-29
32-33
Band 6
23-26
30-31
Band 5.5
19-22
27-29
Band 5
15-18
23-26
Band 4.5
13-14
19-22
Band 4
10-12
15-18
Band 3.5
8-9
12-14
Band 3
6-7
9-11
As mentioned earlier, there is no penalty for incorrect answers, and it is recommended to attempt all questions, even if you are making educated guesses. In summary, the IELTS Listening and Reading scoring is relatively straightforward to comprehend.
In IELTS Writing and Speaking, the assessment becomes more intricate. Let’s delve into the scoring for IELTS Writing.
Writing Module
The writing section comprises two tasks: Task 1 and Task 2. Each task is evaluated by different examiners, with each examiner assigning a distinct score. These two scores are then amalgamated to yield a single writing score.
The criteria for determining the score for Task 1 and Task 2 involve four key aspects.
In Task 1, the initial criterion refers to Task Achievement; in Task 2, it’s called Task Response. Essentially, this assesses whether you have fulfilled all the task requirements. Have you addressed the question comprehensively? Is your response sufficiently detailed? Have you met all the stipulated requirements of the task?
The second criterion is Coherence and Cohesion. To elaborate, coherence evaluates the overall structure of your essay. Examiners seek a clear organizational structure, the development of ideas, and a smooth progression from one paragraph to the next. They look for essays, reports, or letters that are easily read and comprehended. Cohesion, on the other hand, examines the fluidity of your ideas, checking if they logically follow one another and if your sentences are interconnected.
The next criterion is your Lexical Resource, which assesses your vocabulary. Examiners evaluate the breadth of your vocabulary, considering how well you employ and spell words.
Lastly, let’s discuss grammatical range and accuracy, which evaluate your use of grammar. Examiners assess whether you employ various grammatical features, including different verb tenses, modal verbs, the passive voice, sentence structures, comparisons, etc. They also consider the frequency of grammatical errors in your writing.
Each of these four criteria contributes 25% to your Task 1 or Task 2 score. To illustrate the scoring calculation, let’s consider an example. If your Task 1 scores are 6, 6, 7, and 7, the average score would be 6.5, which would be your Task 1 score. However, if your Task 2 scores are 6, 7, 7, and 7, the average is 6.75, therefore your score is rounded to 7.
Each IELTS criterion has specific requirements and corresponding band scores, detailed in documents called IELTS band descriptors. Take advantage of the band descriptors! You can download it here. These descriptors provide detailed guidelines for each band score across the four criteria.
In IELTS Writing, the combination of scores from Task 1 and Task 2 involves a weighted average. Task 1, being shorter, contributes one-third to your overall writing score, while Task 2, being longer, carries a two-thirds weight.
Let’s consider an example where Task 1 is scored 6.5 and Task 2 is scored 7.0. The weighted average is calculated as (6.5 * 1/3) + (7.0 * 2/3) = 6.83. Since this is closer to 7 than 6.5, the overall writing score becomes 7.
However, if the scores are reversed, with Task 1 at 7 and Task 2 at 6.5, the weighted average becomes (7.0 * 1/3) + (6.5 * 2/3) = 6.66. In this case, the score is rounded down to 6.5.
This calculation underscores the importance of Task 2 in IELTS Writing, emphasizing the need to allocate sufficient time for Task 2. Finishing Task 1 within the first 20 minutes is advisable to ensure ample time for Task 2, given its more significant impact on the overall writing score.
Speaking Module
In the IELTS Speaking section, the examination process involves an examiner asking you questions. After the session, they assign you a score based on four criteria. Unlike the IELTS Writing section, each segment of the IELTS Speaking test is not evaluated separately; instead, you receive four scores, each corresponding to a specific assessment criterion.
The four criteria used by examiners to assess your performance in the IELTS Speaking test are as follows:
Fluency and Cohesion: This criterion evaluates your ability to communicate smoothly. Examiners consider factors such as your effort to express yourself, hesitations, repetitions, or self-corrections, and the overall flow and connection of ideas in your responses.
Lexical Resource (Vocabulary): Lexical Resource, also known as vocabulary, looks at how well you use words, considering both the number of different words you choose and how precisely you use them.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: This criterion focuses on your use of grammar. Examiners assess whether you employ a variety of grammatical structures, use them correctly, and make minimal mistakes in your spoken English.
Pronunciation: Unlike accent, pronunciation is a key aspect of this criterion. Examiners evaluate your ability to articulate words and sounds accurately and to use proper intonation in your speech.
Each of these four criteria carries an equal weight of 25% in determining your overall speaking score. The scores assigned to each criterion are combined to assess your IELTS Speaking test performance comprehensively. You can download the band descriptors for Speaking from here.
Conclusion
You receive an individual score for each of the four sections: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. These four scores are then combined to determine your overall IELTS score.
For instance, if your scores are 8 in Listening, 7 in Reading, 7 in Writing, and 7 in Speaking, then the average score is 7.25, which is rounded to 7.5—this becomes your final IELTS score.
I trust this explanation clarifies the calculation process for the IELTS score.
Click here to download the Official IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors
In this document, you will learn what the examiners are looking for when they assess your speaking skills. You will also get access to the official IELTS speaking band descriptors, which describe the criteria for each band score from 1 to 9. Download the PDF file and use it as a guide to improve your fluency, coherence, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.
Click here to download the Official IELTS Writing Band Descriptors
In this document, you will discover how to write effective and coherent essays for the IELTS writing test. You will also get access to the official IELTS writing band descriptors, which explain the standards for each band score from 1 to 9. Download the PDF file and use it as a reference to enhance your task achievement, cohesion, vocabulary and grammar.
