IELTS Scores: Scoring System Explanation

It’s easy to get confused by a lot of things in the IELTS, and the scoring system is no exception. People expect systems like pass and merit, or letter grades, but instead get a number banding system which they may not have been exposed to previously. 

To make matters worse, there are many small details that go into an IELTS test. Lots of students want to be able to predict their IELTS band, resulting in stress and confusion – which you definitely don’t need any more of!

That’s why we’ve compiled this explanation, with everything you need to know about your IELTS band scoring system.

IELTS score versus IELTS band

That’s simple: there’s no difference. Band is just the official word that IELTS and other related institutions use. The IELTS score is just an informal way to refer to what result you got in your exam.

Band refers to the number that you might get in a particular skill test, or for your overall result. Each result from each test is given a band, from 0 to 9, and then all the four tests are averaged together. 

If you’re familiar with the CEFR, you can check your CEFR competency against your equivalent IELTS level here.

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Your overall IELTS band score and your individual component scores

Your overall IELTS result is an average of your four individual results. If your average results in a .25, it’s rounded up to 0.5  while if it results in a .75, it’s rounded up to the next band. This is because only whole or half bands are given in IELTS.

Here are some examples of IELTS score calculation:

You can use this information to calculate your IELTS score and what kind of minimum scores you’d realistically need in each individual component to get your complete required score. It’s important to remember, though, that many universities and institutions also want a minimum score in each component.

Take Person 4, for example. If her university wants an overall score of 7.0, she’d be fine. But if her university wants an overall score of 7.0 and a minimum of 7.0 in each component, she wouldn’t meet their requirement – this is because her overall score has been rounded up from 6.75 to 7.0, courtesy her scores in speaking. 

You could say the same for Person 2 as well. He has an overall score of 7.5 because of rounding, but he doesn’t have a minimum of 7.5 in each component.

Always remember to carefully comb through any minimum scores required by your institution.

IELTS Score Calculator for Listening and Reading

Listening and Reading use tables to convert your number of correct answers into bands.

As you can see in both tests, if you’re aiming for a band 9.0, there’s no advantage to getting full marks (40) over 39 marks!

These tables are for the Academic IELTS only. There are minor differences with General Training. 

IELTS Listening Score Table

As you can see, the difference for the two bands between 5.0 and 7.0 is ten marks, but the difference between 7.0 and 9.0 is only nine marks. This is because the earlier parts of the listening questions are substantially easier than the later parts, and so, worth less. 

IELTS Reading Score Table

The Reading section is very similar to the aforementioned Listening section, with the exception that it’s slightly harder to get a 6.5 or a 7.5 in Reading than it is in Listening. 

IELTS score calculator for Writing and Speaking

Writing and Speaking are scored differently. There is unfortunately no way to work out how many right answers a test taker had. Instead, the assessor uses a subjective system to work out your result for these components.

Both are graded on four categories. Each category is worth 25% of your total band score. These categories are then averaged and rounded in the same way as before. We’ll briefly go over the four categories and what they represent later in this article.

You can find public versions of the assessment scheme. It’s recommended to read them over, but remember they’re not precisely the same as the rubrics used by the actual examiners. 

IELTS Writing Score Rubric

You can find the full IELTS public version here.

IELTS Speaking Score Rubric

You can find the full IELTS public version here.

It’s not easy to calculate your IELTS score

Both Writing and Speaking are highly subjective and depend on the examiner’s perception of your abilities. The examiners don’t spend a lot of time trying to work out what you’ve written or said; if they can understand you with fluency the first time round, that will result in a higher score.

Of course, you never know until you get your Test Report with your results – but now you should have a better idea of how the whole thing works.

Ultimately, what matters for acing IELTS is practice and English language skills. Try to concentrate on revising for the IELTS and using your English skills in everyday life – the results will come if you put the work in.

Good luck!

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