IELTS Academic Reading Score Calculator
IELTS Academic Reading consists of passages sourced from textbooks, journals, magazines, articles and other academic materials.
The test lasts 60 minutes, and you get 3 passages and 40 questions to answer.
Calculating the IELTS Reading band score is fairly easier than the other sections. The scoring in the Reading section is straightforward, and no band descriptors are involved.
It works like this:
- You have 40 questions to answer
- Each correct answer is worth 1 mark
- The right answers are summed together to get a final score called the ‘raw score’
- Your raw score is converted to the IELTS Reading band score by using the score chart.
Academic Reading Band Score Chart
You can use the following table to reduce your raw score to your IELTS Reading band score.
IELTS Reading Scores (Academic)
| Raw Score out of 40 | Band Score |
| 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 General Training Reading Score Calculator
As the name implies, the IELTS Reading for the General Training test comprises general passages sourced from company handbooks, magazines, newspapers, and advertisements. These excerpts are simpler and often in the form of instructions or short descriptions.
The marks criteria are the same as the IELTS Academic Reading score, which means you will receive 1 mark for each right answer. The correct answers will be combined and converted to an IELTS band score.
Band Score Chart Reading for IELTS General Training
Use the table below to convert your scores! This chart is slightly different than the Academic version.
IELTS Reading Scores (General Training)
| Raw Score out of 40 | Band Score |
| 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 |
What Does Your IELTS Reading Band Score Mean?
Each band you get in IELTS indicates a level of proficiency. While 0 means you have probably not attempted the test, 9 indicates you are a highly proficient English speaker!
Here is what each of the band scores means.
IELTS Band Score Descriptors
| Band | Skill Level | Description |
| 9 | Expert User | Fully commands the language fluently, accurately, and appropriately with complete understanding. |
| 8 | Very Good User | Fully commands the language with occasional minor errors. May misunderstand in unfamiliar situations but handles detailed arguments well. |
| 7 | Good User | Commands the language well, with occasional errors and misunderstandings. Handles complex language and detailed reasoning |
| 6 | Competent User | Generally communicates effectively, with some errors and misunderstandings. Can understand fairly complex language, especially in familiar situations. |
| 5 | Modest User | Can grasp overall meaning in most situations despite making many mistakes. Can manage basic communication within their field |
| 4 | Limited User | Basic competence in familiar situations but often struggles with understanding and expression. Difficulty using complex language. |
| 3 | Extremely Limited User | Understands general meaning in very familiar situations, with frequent communication breakdowns. |
| 2 | Intermittent User | Can communicate basic information using simple words or phrases in familiar situations. Struggles with understanding spoken and written English. |
| 1 | Non-user | Unable to use the language except for isolated words |
| 0 | Did not attempt the test | No information available about the user |
