The International English Language Assessment System (IELTS) tests people’s language skills who choose to learn or work where English is used as a contact language. To specifically describe standards of expertise, from non-user to professional, it uses a nine-band scale
The ratings for the IELTS team range from band 0 to band 9. Your English-language strengths are assessed against marks in the IELTS exam. With each band score leading to a degree of English-language competence, these marks vary from band 0 to 9. In the paragraphs below, you will get to know how the IELTS band score chart looks like
IELTS Reading and Listening
Each of the IELTS components for listening and reading comprises 40 questions. Each right item is awarded one point, so for each part, the maximum raw marks you can obtain is 40. Marks ranging from Band 1 to 9 are marked on the basis of their raw marks to applicants.
The tables represent the number of marks required for a given mark to be obtained.
Writing and Speaking
Examiners use comprehensive evaluation criteria to define written and spoken output in each of the 9 IELTS bands when marking the Writing and Speaking components of the exam.
Writing: For each of four criteria fields, examiners give a band score: Task Accomplishment (for Task 1), Task Response (for Task 2); Coherence and Cohesion; Lexical Resource; Grammatical Range and Precision.
Speaking: For each of four criteria fields, examiners grant a band score: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy; and Pronunciation.
IELTS Band Score Table
Refer to the table below for the IELTS score depending on the number of questions answered correctly for academic version and general versions
IELTS Reading Band Chart for Academic version
The estimated marks which are determined using this table for the general reading exam includes 40 questions.
| Correct Answers | marks |
| 39-40 | 9 |
| 37-38 | 8.5 |
| 35-36 | 8 |
| 33-34 | 7.5 |
| 30-32 | 7 |
| 27-29 | 6.5 |
| 23-26 | 6 |
| 19-22 | 5.5 |
| 15-18 | 5 |
| 13-14 | 4.5 |
| 10-12 | 4 |
| 8-9 | 3.5 |
| 6-7 | 3 |
| 4-5 | 2.5 |
IELTS Band Score Chart General
Refer to the table below for the IELTS marks depending on the number of questions answered correctly for the general version
| Correct Answers | marks |
| 40 | 9 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37-38 | 8 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34-35 | 7 |
| 32-33 | 6.5 |
| 30-31 | 6 |
| 27-29 | 5.5 |
| 23-26 | 5 |
| 19-22 | 4.5 |
| 15-18 | 4 |
| 12-14 | 3.5 |
| 9-11 | 3 |
| 6-8 | 2.5 |
Also Read: Linking Words for IELTS Writing Task 2: What is Linking Words in IELTS?
Scoring
For IELTS, the highest mark is 9 and the lowest mark is 1, and each mark represents the various levels of English users.
- 9: Professional user: fully operating language command: ideal, precise and fluent with maximum comprehension.
- 8: Really strong user: with just occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriateness, the language has complete organisational order. In unfamiliar contexts, misunderstandings can occur. Complex, thorough argumentation is well handled.
- 7: Strong user: has language organisational order, although in certain cases with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. It typically handles convoluted vocabulary well and accepts rigorous logic.
- 6: Skilled user: despite certain inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings, it normally has good language regulation. A fairly complex language can be used and understood, particularly in familiar contexts.
Band 5 to 0
- 5: Humble user: has partial language power, in most cases, dealing with general context, although it is likely to make several errors. In their own sector, they should be able to manage simple communication.
- 4: Limited user: simple skill is limited to circumstances which are familiar. It has regular comprehension and speech issues. Unable to use a nuanced language.
- 3: Exceedingly restricted user: in very familiar circumstances, conveys and recognises only general importance. Frequent communication breakdowns happen.
- 2: Sporadic user: Using isolated terms or brief formulas in familiar situations and to satisfy urgent needs, no real contact is available except for the most essential details. Comprehension between spoken and written English is very complicated.
- 1: Non-user: has no desire to use the language except a few isolated words, in essence.
- 0: Did not attempt the test: given no usable information.
Score Calculator
By taking the mean of the four test elements, your total marks is determined (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking). Your average band ranking is rounded to the full or half band nearest you.
For example:
You will be given an Average Band Score of 6.5 if you attain 6.5 for Listening, 6.5 for Reading, 5.0 for Writing and 7.0 for Speaking.
The overall mark is 25 ÷ 4 = 6.25, which is 6.5 for the team.
If you attain 4.0 for listening, 3.5 for reading, 4.0 for writing and 4.0 for speaking, an average band score of 4.0 will be awarded to you.
Total marks: 15.5 ÷ 4 = 3.875, which is a band score of 4.0.0.
Conclusion
In this blog, you have read about the reading marks format of the IELTS exam. Now you must be aware of the scoring rules for both the categories of academic and general versions after going through the academic IELTS band score chart and the general band score chart. This will help you to prepare accordingly with confidence to crack the exam.
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Also Read: Reading Passage in IELTS Test: Here’s How to Ace IELTS Reading Passage
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