IELTS – Exams, Scoring & Test

The Test Report Form provides your overall band score and band scores for each of the four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

Overall IELTS Band Score

The overall band score is the average of the four sections scores, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. The sections scores are weighted equally.

Some examples:

Section IELTS Band Scores

Listening

The IELTS Listening test contains 40 questions. Each correct answer is awarded one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS nine-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

Reading

The IELTS Reading test contains 40 questions. Each correct answer is awarded one mark. Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS nine-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.

The Academic and General Training Reading tests are graded on the same scale. The distinction between the two tests is one of genre or text type. However, Academic Reading tests may contain texts which feature more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style. It is usual that a greater number of questions must be answered correctly on a General Training Reading test to secure a given band score.

The tables below indicate the average number of marks required to achieve a particular band score in Listening, Academic Reading and General Training Reading. Note that the precise number of marks needed to achieve these band scores will vary slightly from test version to test version.

IELTS Writing

Examiners use assessment criteria to award a band score for each of the four criteria:

• Task Achievement (for Task 1), Task Response (for Task 2)
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The criteria are weighted equally and the score on the task is the average.

IELTS Speaking

Examiners use assessment criteria to award a band score for each of the four criteria:

• Fluency and Coherence
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Pronunciation

The criteria are weighted equally and the Speaking band score is the average.

Versions of the assessment criteria for Writing and Speaking have been developed to help stakeholders better understand the level of performance required to secure a particular band score:

• Download Writing task 1 assessment criteria (PDF,124KB)
• Download Writing task 2 assessment criteria (PDF, 68KB)
• Download Speaking assessment criteria (PDF, 120KB)

IELTS is trusted by individuals and organizations worldwide for its fairness, reliability, and high-quality standards. It is recognized as being fair to all test takers, whatever their nationality, cultural background, gender, or special needs.

Test takers can feel confident that IELTS:

• provides a valid and accurate assessment of the four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
• assesses language skills, not specialist knowledge; the topics covered are general enough for all test takers will be able to answer questions on them.
• is focused on assessing practical communication ability.
• serves both academic and non-academic purposes through a choice of two test types.
• features a one-on-one, face-to-face Speaking test.
• recognizes all standard varieties of native-speaker English, including North American and British.
• ensures test questions are extensively trialed with people from different cultures to confirm they are appropriate and fair.

Systems and safeguards to ensure quality

We ensure that the delivery of the test is both consistent and secure through rigorous training and continual monitoring of test centers and examiners.

Ensuring Reliability Of Results

IELTS is subject to the highest quality controls, security procedures, and integrity management practices. These include:

• stringent procedures for checking and verifying test taker identity
• unique test versions – test takers will never sit the same test twice
• double marking
• printing Test Report Forms on security-enhanced paper
• an online Results Verification Service.

Ensuring consistent assessment of Writing and Speaking tests

• Writing and Speaking tests are assessed by trained and certificated examiners
• Examiners are qualified English language specialists, with substantial relevant teaching experience, working to clearly defined criteria and subject to extensive quality control procedures
• Selected speaking and writing performances are second-marked by a team of IELTS principal examiners/assistant principal examiners who provide feedback to each examiner
• Where there is a significant difference between a test taker’s writing and/or speaking score and their reading and listening scores, double marking is carried out
• Routine analysis is conducted on each test version to ensure that the performances of test materials, test takers and examiners are in line with expected standards
• Test takers who feel that their scores do not reflect their performance may apply to have their tests re-marked by a senior examiner.

To have the best chance at doing well in IELTS, it is important that you prepare for the test. We have put together the following materials to help you get ready and know what to expect in your test.