IELTS Academic Reading – Band Score Description and Calculation
The IELTS Academic Reading test is graded on a band scale of 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest score possible. Each band score corresponds to a level of proficiency in English. The following is a general description of the band scores for the IELTS Academic Reading test:
|
Band Score |
Level of Proficiency |
Description |
|
9 |
Expert User |
Has full operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate, and fluent with complete understanding. |
|
8 |
Very Good User |
Has a very good command of the language: appropriate, accurate, and fluent with only occasional inaccuracies. |
|
7 |
Good User |
Has a good command of the language: generally accurate and fluent, but with some inaccuracies and misunderstandings. |
|
6 |
Competent User |
Has a competent command of the language: generally accurate, but with some errors and misunderstandings. |
|
5 |
Modest User |
Has a modest command of the language: has partial understanding of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. |
|
4 |
Limited User |
Has a limited command of the language: basic competence is limited to familiar situations. |
|
3 |
Extremely Limited User |
Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. |
|
2 |
Intermittent User |
No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. |
|
1 |
Non-User |
Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. |
|
0 |
Did not attempt the test or response was irrelevant to the question. |
N/A |
It’s important to note that these descriptions are general guidelines and that individual scores may vary depending on the specific test and its content. Additionally, different universities or organizations may have different requirements for the minimum IELTS score needed for admission or employment.
IELTS Reading – Band Score Calculation
The IELTS Reading test is scored on a scale of 0 to 9, with 0.5 band score increments possible. To calculate your band score, your total number of correct answers is first converted into a score out of 40. This score is then converted to a band score using a conversion table provided by IELTS.
Here is an example of how the band score calculation works:
Let’s say you took the IELTS Reading test and answered 32 out of 40 questions correctly. To convert this into a band score, you would use the following steps:
- Calculate your raw score: 32/40 x 100 = 80
Use the conversion table to determine your band score:
|
Raw Score |
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 |
|
3 |
2 |
|
0-2 |
1 |
Based on this table, a raw score of 32 corresponds to a band score of 7.
It’s important to note that the conversion table may vary slightly depending on the specific test, but the basic process remains the same.
