How are my Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking sections marked in IELTS?
IELTS Listening and Reading are marked by counting correct answers, with each correct answer earning one mark and the raw score out of 40 converted to a band. Writing and Speaking are assessed by certified examiners against set criteria. Check the official IELTS pages for the latest marking details.
IELTS marks each section differently. Listening and Reading depend on how many answers you get right, while Writing and Speaking are judged by certified examiners using official marking criteria.
How Each Section Is Marked
| Section | How it is marked |
|---|---|
| Listening | One mark per correct answer; the raw score out of 40 is converted to a band using the official conversion table |
| Reading | One mark per correct answer; the score out of 40 is converted to the 9-band scale, with different tables for Academic and General Training |
| Writing | Examiners assess Task Achievement or Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy |
| Speaking | Examiners assess Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation |
What This Means for Your Preparation
- For Listening and Reading, accuracy on each question matters most.
- For Writing and Speaking, you are judged on four named criteria, so practise each one.
- Conversion tables differ between Academic and General Training Reading.
My Advice
Prepare for the criteria, not just the tasks. Time your Listening and Reading practice, and get feedback on Writing and Speaking against the four criteria. Confirm the latest format on the official IELTS website.
What IELTS band do universities actually need?
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