The IELTS, called International English Language Testing System, is one of the barriers that aspiring students looking to study abroad must clear. Since going live in 1989, the IELTS today is the most popular test to accurately measure an individual’s command over the English language. But it’s also more than that—for students or other individuals hoping to move to a primarily English-speaking country, an IELTS score is an indication of how well they can integrate and thrive in a new environment.
You must consider your IELTS scores as closely as the universities you’re submitting them to. High, low, or average scores are a benchmark of your progress to moving abroad so it’s vital to understand them completely to both organize your preparation and imagine your potential life abroad.
How The Band Scores are Calculated
The official IELTS website provides an important consideration in your overall IELTS score: your score is calculated to the nearest 0.5 or whole number. What does this mean? Let’s use some examples:
- If your overall IELTS score is 7.1, your score will be pushed to 7.0 (the nearest whole band score, as 7.1 is nearer to 7 than 7.5)
- Suppose your overall score is 5.85. Your final score will be pushed to a 6 (5.85 is closer to band 6 than 5.5.
- However, suppose your score is 5.25. 0.25 is exactly in the middle of two bands 5.0 and 5.5. IELTS pushes up your score, in this case, to a band score of 5.5.
- Similarly, for overall scores in the 0.75 increment, the final IELTS score is pushed up.
Understanding Your IELTS Score
When you get your IELTS score report, you’ll see individual scores for each of the four sections. This is your “band” score and it is marked on a scale of 0-9, with increments of 0.24, 0.5 and 0.75 between each whole number.
You’ll also be given an Overall band score, which is essentially an average of all your band scores. This is calculated to the nearest 0.5 or whole number band. College applications may have stipulations for both individual bands and overall bands on their admission criteria. That means you must prepare comprehensively for good overall and individual band scores.
Read on to understand the individual band scores to conduct conscious IELTS exam preparation.
-
IELTS Listening Band Scores
The Listening section has 40 questions and you’ll be awarded 1 mark for every accurate answer you give. Your final score out of 40 is then condensed into a score out of 9. This is how your average scores in this band translate to a final one:
| Raw Score (Out of 40) | Band Score (Out of 9) |
| 40 | 9 |
| 35 | 8 |
| 30 | 7 |
| 23 | 6 |
| 16 | 5 |
Scores in between these numbers may be scored using the increments. The scores required to meet a band score may vary across tests.
-
IELTS Reading Band Scores
Similar to the Listening Section, the Reading section has 40 questions, with each correct answer holding a value of 1 mark. Although the two test types use the same band scale (0 to 9), the Academic IELTS may have more complex questions (to ensure students can decode academic texts). More correct answers may be needed on the IELTS General to achieve the same Academic IELTS score. The average marks required for the bands are as follows:
| Raw Score (Out of 40) | IELTS Academic Band Score (Out of 9) |
| 40 | 9 |
| 35 | 8 |
| 30 | 7 |
| 23 | 6 |
| 15 | 5 |
For the General Training Test Type, the average scores required are as follows:
| Raw Score (Out of 40) | IELTS General Training Band Score (Out of 9) |
| 35 | 7 |
| 30 | 6 |
| 23 | 5 |
| 15 | 4 |
-
IELTS Writing Band Score
Candidates have to attempt 2 tasks in this section. Official examiners use the assessment criteria given by the International Development Program (IDP) to give a score on the following criteria:
- The task’s achievement (Task 1) and the response to argument (Task 2)
- Coherence in writing and cohesion
- Lexical resources used (This is your vocabulary usage)
- Grammatical accuracy
All of these are given an equal weightage and final score is given for each of the two tasks. However, Task 2 carries more marking weight than Task 1. Work accordingly!
-
IELTS Speaking Band Score
This section has 3 tasks, and like the writing section, each task is scored individually on the following criteria:
- English fluency and coherence in speech
- Lexical resource
- Pronunciation
- Grammatical accuracy and range
Each criterion holds an equal IELTS score weight, and the average score on each task results in a final band score for the section.
How Long Is the IELTS Score Valid?
The validity of your IELTS score is typically 2 years. However, there may be deviations in this requirement that are specific to the institution you are applying to, so make sure to double-check!
Overall IELTS Band Score
At the end of your test, you will be given a score out of 0 to 9 (with the increments in between) on each of the test sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
The overall band score is merely calculated as the mean score of all 4 parts.
What Does Your IELTS Score Mean?
The overall IELTS band scores use the following rubric:
| Overall Band Scores (0 to 9) | Skill Level | Notes |
| 9 | Expert | Test-taker has complete command over the English Language. There is complete understanding of nuances and they are accurate and fluent. |
| 8 | Very Good | The candidate has fully operational command over English but makes occasional systemic errors or uses inappropriate language. Some things may be misunderstood in foreign environments, but they can understand complex and detailed communication. |
| 7 | Good | There is operational command over the English language, but there is occasional inaccurate or inappropriate usage. Test-takers can handle complex language and reasoning. |
| 6 | Competent | The candidate holds effective control of the language despite inaccuracies and inappropriate language usage. They can use reasonably complex language, especially in familiar situations. |
| 5 | Modest | The candidate has partial control over the language and may grasp overall meaning in most situations. Mistakes are likely, but they should be able to handle basic communication. |
| 4 | Limited | The test-taker shows limited competence, even in familiar situations. There are frequent issues in understanding and communication. |
| 3 | Very Limited | The test-taker communicates and understands very general meanings in English and only in familiar situations. Communication may frequently break down. |
| 2 | Intermittent | The candidate has great difficulty understanding and communicating in the language, spoken or written. |
| 1 | Non-User | The test-taker has virtually no ability in the English language, except a few words. |
| 0 | No Attempt | The candidate did not attempt any of the questions. |
The IELTS Exam Syllabus & Structure
Test-takers can expect the IELTS to take about 2 hrs and 45 mins, for both Academic and General Training exam types. The Listening, Reading and Writing segments are to be attempted on the same day with no breaks in between. The Speaking section may be tested on the same day with an official examiner or up to 7 days before or after the rest of the test, depending on the candidate’s choice.
| Section | No. of Questions | Duration | Syllabus |
| Listening | 40 | 30 minutes (+10 minutes if attempting a paper test) | Questions pertaining to 4 recordings on social, educational, or environmental themes. |
| Reading | 40 | 60 minutes | Questions pertaining to comprehension of 3 long passages. Academic articles (IELTS Academic) or Pamphlets/Brochures/Adverts |
| Writing | 2 | 60 minutes (It is recommended you spend about 20 mins on Question 1 and 40 mins on Question 2) | Analyzing graphical information or a piece of text and presenting a summary/writing on a point of view. (Academic)
Writing a formal or semi-formal letter and drafting an argument based on the views expressed. |
| Speaking | 3 parts | 11-14 minutes | Self-introduction; speaking on a topic, followed by a Q&A session; Speaking at length about abstract issues |
Conclusion
The IELTS is a vital component of your application to access better opportunities abroad. Students looking at education institutions in the U.S., U.K, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, France and Singapore.
Remember to take frequent practice tests to map your goals and track progress. Know what to aim for and build yourself up for success on the IELTS!
