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IELTS Score Scale (IELTS Band Score) is a scale calculated from 1.0 - 9.0 (Overall IELTS score is calculated by averaging the scores of the 4 skills Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing). IELTS score is used to assess the candidate's English ability based on the complete IELTS four-skill test.
The article below, ETEST English for Study Abroad will share with you IELTS score scale and How to calculate IELTS Overall score for each separate test section so you can calculate your test score specifically for the following sections:
- IELTS Reading Score
- IELTS Listening Score Scale
- IELTS Speaking Score
- IELTS Writing Score
How to calculate IELTS total score for 4 skills (Overall)
IELTS Score Scale ranges from 1 to 9 points. The scale is used for each sub-skill of the language. (Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing)Overall IELTS score is calculated based on the average score of the 4 skills.
The total score of the four skills will be rounded according to the following rule:
- If the average score of four skills has a decimal of .25, it will be rounded up to .5.
- If the average of the four skills has a decimal point of .75, it will be rounded up to 1.0.
For example: A candidate has the following scores:
- Listening: 7.0, Reading: 6.5, Writing: 6.0, Speaking: 7.5. Total score is IELTS 7.0 (27 ÷ 4 = 6.75 = 7.0).
- Listening: 6.0, Reading: 5.5, Writing: 6.0, Speaking: 6.5. Total score is IELTS 6.0 (24 ÷ 4 = 6.0).
- Listening: 7.5, Reading: 7.0, Writing: 7.5, Speaking: 7.5. Total score is IELTS 7.5 (29.5 ÷ 4 = 7.375 = 7.5).
Features of IELTS certificate There is no pass or fail result. After the exam, each candidate will receive a Certificate of Results. This is a certificate that shows the average score of the test sections and the overall score.
Currently, the IELTS test has two formats: General Training and Academic with different levels of difficulty. Therefore, the conversion scale of these two test formats is also different.
You can calculate your score on the official BC IELTS website: Here
IELTS Reading and IELTS Listening Score Scale for 2 types of exams
Both the Listening and Reading sections have 40 questions. For each correct answer, the candidate will receive 1 point. This total score will be converted to a scale of 1.0 – 9.0 based on the number of questions the candidate answered correctly. How to calculate IELTS score This helps candidates check their results more easily.
| Listening | Reading – Academic | Reading – General Training | |||
| Correct answers | Band scores | Correct answers | Band scores | Correct answers | Band scores |
| 39 – 40 | 9.0 | 40 – 39 | 9.0 | 40 | 9.0 |
| 37 – 38 | 8.5 | 38 – 37 | 8.5 | 39 | 8.5 |
| 35 – 36 | 8.0 | 36 – 35 | 8.0 | 37 – 38 | 8.0 |
| 32 – 34 | 7.5 | 34 – 33 | 7.5 | 36 | 7.5 |
| 30 – 31 | 7.0 | 32 -30 | 7.0 | 34 – 35 | 7.0 |
| 26 – 29 | 6.5 | 29 – 27 | 6.5 | 32 – 33 | 6.5 |
| 23 – 25 | 6.0 | 26 – 23 | 6.0 | 30 – 31 | 6.0 |
| 18 – 22 | 5.5 | 22 – 19 | 5.5 | 27 – 29 | 5.5 |
| 16 – 17 | 5.0 | 18 – 15 | 5.0 | 23 – 26 | 5.0 |
| 13 – 15 | 4.5 | 14 – 13 | 4.5 | 19 – 22 | 4.5 |
| 10 – 12 | 4.0 | 12 – 10 | 4.0 | 15 – 18 | 4.0 |
| 7 – 9 | 3.5 | 9 – 8 | 3.5 | 12 – 14 | 3.5 |
| 5 – 6 | 3.0 | 7 – 6 | 3.0 | 9 – 11 | 3.0 |
| 3 – 4 | 2.5 | 5 – 4 | 2.5 | 6 – 8 | 2.5 |
IELTS Reading and IELTS Listening Score Scale
***Note: According to the examiner - IDP, although the IELTS test questions have been surveyed and tested in advance, there will still be differences in difficulty in the test, so to create fairness, the conversion scale will also change depending on each test. This means that for example, with the same band score of 7.0, the number of correct answers in each test is calculated differently according to the difficulty of the test. (Source IDP).
The Academic and General Training sections have different conversion methods for Reading scores. You can refer to the following conversion table for better understanding. How to calculate IELTS Reading and Listening scores and about the differences in scoring of each section.
IELTS Reading Score
IELTS Reading Score There are some differences between the Academic and General Training formats in the number of correct answers on the same band score, specifically:
| IELTS Band Score | Number of correct sentences (Reading Academic) | Number of correct sentences (Reading General) |
| 9.0 | 39-40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37-38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35-36 | 38 |
| 7.5 | 33-34 | 36-37 |
| 7.0 | 30-32 | 34-35 |
| 6.5 | 27-29 | 32-33 |
| 6.0 | 23-26 | 30-31 |
| 5.5 | 20-22 | 27-29 |
| 5.0 | 16-19 | 23-26 |
| 4.5 | 13-15 | 19-22 |
| 4.0 | 10-12 | 15-18 |
| 3.5 | 7-9 | 12-14 |
| 3.0 | 5-6 | 8-11 |
| 2.5 | 3-4 | 5-7 |
IELTS Listening Score Scale
Both Academic and General Training formats have IELTS score calculation as shown in the table below:
| Number of correct sentences | IELTS Listening Band Score |
| 39-40 | 9.0 |
| 37-38 | 8.5 |
| 35-36 | 8.0 |
| 33-34 | 7.5 |
| 30-32 | 7.0 |
| 27-29 | 6.5 |
| 23-26 | 6.0 |
| 20-22 | 5.5 |
| 16-19 | 5.0 |
| 13-15 | 4.5 |
| 10-12 | 4.0 |
| 7-9 | 3.5 |
| 5-6 | 3.0 |
| 3-4 | 2.5 |
Note:
There will be a slight difference in the difficulty of the questions in each test, even though these questions have gone through many stages including test surveys, mock tests, etc. before being put into the official test. Therefore, in order to create fairness for each test, the conversion scale will have flexible changes accordingly. For example, with the same score of 7, there will still be a difference in the number of correct answers for different tests.
The two formats of the Academic and General Training exams differ in the language and format used in the test. The Academic format has complex sentence structures and many IELTS vocabulary much more difficult than General Training. Therefore, with the same score, the number of correct answers of Academic will be less than General Training.
IELTS Speaking and IELTS Writing score scale for 2 test formats
IELTS Speaking Score
The IELTS Speaking test will be scored based on 4 criteria. Each criterion will account for 25% of the total test score. The criteria include:
- Fluency and Coherence: Connectivity between paragraphs, sentences and fluency of the speaking test (accounting for 25% of the total test score)
- Lexical Resource: Rich vocabulary (accounting for 25% of the total test score)
- Grammatical range and accuracy: Accurate and varied grammar (accounting for 25% of the total test score)
- Pronunciation: Pronunciation (accounts for 25% of the total test score)
The scores for each section are the same. The band descriptors for the Writing and Speaking tests are updated regularly to help candidates better understand the requirements of each section. IELTS examiners undergo intensive training in marking standards to ensure they mark accurately and to the required standards.
Each band score will have different criteria requirements. The criteria table below will help you visualize more clearly how this part of the test is scored.
| Criteria | Band 5.0 | Band 6.0 | Band 7.0 | Band 8.0 | Band 9.0 |
| Fluency and Coherence | + Speech is maintained but often repeated, knowing how to speak slowly or self-adjust + Know how to use certain conjunctions + Fluent voice, occasional problems | + Can speak long sentences but easily repeat words or sentences lack cohesion, know how to self-regulate or hesitate when speaking + Use flexible but sometimes inappropriate conjunctions | + Long talk but lack of connection + Repeat words or self-adjust when repeating words + Flexible use of a variety of connections | + Speak fluently, with little repetition + Develop the topic of speech coherently. | + Speak fluently, with little repetition + Express sentences coherently and logically + Develop speaking topics naturally and fully. |
| Pronunciation | + Often mispronounce, making it difficult for listeners + Many limitations in using pronunciation features | + Know how to control pronunciation + Using some pronunciation features is effective but difficult to maintain continuously + Pronunciation is understandable, with some mispronunciation of individual words and sounds, making speech less clear. | + Pronunciation is relatively easy to understand, but still makes a few mistakes | + Easy to understand pronunciation, using local accent when communicating + Flexible pronunciation, sometimes losing or swallowing sounds | + Easy to understand pronunciation + Flexibly use speaking intonation throughout the test + Use pronunciation features fully and accurately |
| Lexical Resource | + Limited vocabulary ability although able to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics. | + Large enough vocabulary to talk about long topics + Explain your own point of view on a certain issue | + Know how to control pronunciation + Use a rich vocabulary to talk about many topics + Use a few, less common words +Use appropriate collocation and paraphrase | + Extensive vocabulary, used flexibly to convey meaning + Skillful use of idioms and vocabulary, high accuracy rate + Know how to use paraphrase appropriately for the situation | + Diverse vocabulary, used flexibly and accurately with all topics + Use idioms accurately, appropriately and naturally |
| Grammar | + Use basic grammar with reasonable accuracy + Rarely uses complex structures, has a few minor grammar errors | + Use a combination of simple and complex grammar structures + Makes mistakes with complex structures | + Flexibly use complex grammatical structures + There are grammatical errors but they are not significant | + Flexible in using grammar structures + Sentences with no errors or minor insignificant errors | + Use complete, logical and natural grammar structures + Create consistent structures accurately |
Note:
When marking the Speaking test, speed is only a small criterion. The examiner focuses on assessing the length of the answer and the candidate's use of linking phrases, conjunctions, etc. Therefore, if you do this well, your IELTS Speaking score will be higher.
Refer to the detailed IELTS Speaking scoring criteria file here:
See more articles: How to learn Speaking effectively
IELTS Writing Score
The IELTS Writing test is scored based on 4 criteria. Each criterion will account for 25% of the total score of the test. The IELTS Writing scoring criteria include:
- Task Achievement: Meet the test requirements of the section Writing Task 1 and Task Response – Ability to answer the test Writing Task 2.
- Coherence and Cohesion: Cohesion and connection between sentences and paragraphs.
- Lexical Resource: Use a variety of vocabulary in your writing.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Use accurate and varied grammar.
The specific requirements of the above 4 criteria for each specific IELTS Writing band score are shown in the following tables:
| Criteria | Band 5.0 | Band 6.0 | Band 7.0 | Band 8.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | – Has information layout – Limited paragraph division – Linking words/phrases have many errors or are inappropriate – Repeated words due to frequent lack of replacement pronouns | – Clear information layout – Divide paragraphs logically – Uses effective linking devices but has some errors in linking between and within sentences – There are alternative pronouns but some places are unclear. | – Logical information layout – Good segmentation – Have a main point for each paragraph – Use a variety of linking tools – Some linking tools are abused or used incorrectly. – Use pronouns well | – Information layout and logical arguments – Effective segmentation – Proficient use of linking and leading tools – The pronoun is completely correct. |
| Task Achievement | – Does not complete the request. May be on the right track in general but fails to address the specific issue in the essay – Have an opinion but not clearly – There may be no conclusion. – Does not develop main idea – Some irrelevant details | – Have access to the topic and issues raised in the assignment – Can express opinions clearly – Have a conclusion, even if it may be repetitive or unclear – Relevant main ideas – Ideas are not fully developed | – Approach all issues and questions in the topic – Expresses clear views throughout the essay. Ideas are reinforced in each paragraph. – Relevant main ideas – Ideas are developed but lack focus on supporting evidence or are somewhat general | – Effectively approach all issues and questions in the assignment – Expresses clear views throughout the essay. Ideas are reinforced in each paragraph. – Relevant main ideas – Ideas are fully developed, expanded and reinforced |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | – Limited sentence structure – Has unsuccessful use of some complex sentence structures – Many grammatical errors – Error in sentence pause – Difficulty in reading comprehension | – Use both simple and complex sentence structures – Some grammatical errors – Some places have sentence breaks – Express clearly | – Use a variety of complex sentence structures – Most of the sentences have no errors. – Good grammar control – Some places have grammatical errors or sentence breaks | – Use a variety of complex sentence structures – Most of the sentences have no errors. |
| Lexical Resource | – Limited vocabulary – Frequent spelling or word form errors – Difficulty in reading comprehension | – Relatively diverse vocabulary – Some academic terms are used incorrectly. – Some spelling and word form errors – Express clearly | – Diverse and relatively accurate vocabulary – Uses academic terminology – Has style and ability to combine words – Some places have spelling mistakes or incorrect word choice | – Diverse and accurate vocabulary – Use academic vocabulary fluently – Very few spelling and word form errors |
Note:
To help candidates achieve high scores in the Speaking & Writing test, the description tables are updated regularly for you to refer to and understand the requirements of each section. From there, you can study and practice properly.
Evaluation criteria for WRITING TASK 1:
Latest way to calculate IELTS Overall score
The total IELTS band score is the average of the four test sections: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. From this average score, continue to round the IELTS score according to the rules in the following table:
| Odd part | Rounding method | For example |
| i < 0.25 | Round down the previous integer | 8.20 rounds to 8.0 |
| 0.25 ≤ i < 0.75 | Round to 0.5 | 8.275 rounds to 8.5 8.70 rounds to 8.5 |
| i ≥ 0.75 | Round up to the next integer | 8.75 rounds to 9.0 |
For example: Candidates' IELTS scores are as follows:
- Listening 8.0
- Reading 8.5
- Writing 8.0
- Speaking 8.0
⇒ The candidate's total average score is: 8.125 ⇒ Rounded to 8.0 IELTS (Because the average score has an odd number less than 0.25, it will be rounded down to 0.00).
English proficiency assessment table through IELTS score
There is no pass or fail in IELTS. Candidates will receive an IELTS certificate, showing a score from 1 to 9 and an average score for each section. IELTS test results are assessed on a 9-point scale, each corresponding to a different level, including 0.5 points (for example 6.5 or 7.5).
| Band score | English skills |
| 0 points | No exam or exam with no information to grade. The candidate did not show up to take the exam. |
| 1 point – cannot use English | Don't know how to apply English in life (or can only know a few single words). |
| 2 points – sometimes yes, sometimes no | Have great difficulty in writing and speaking English. Unable to communicate in real life other than using a few single words or a few short grammatical structures to present and express the purpose at the time of speaking and writing. |
| 3 points – limited use of English | Can use English to communicate in some familiar situations, but often has difficulty in real-life communication. |
| 4 points – limitations | Able to communicate fluently in English in specific situations, but has difficulty dealing with complex communication. |
| 5 points – normal | Can use part of the language and understand it in most situations, although mistakes are common. Can use English well in areas of particular familiarity. |
| 6 points – good | Despite some inaccuracies and inefficiencies, overall command of English is good. Can use English well in complex situations, especially familiar ones. |
| 7 points – good | Has a good command of the language, although occasionally it is inaccurate, inappropriate or unclear in general situations. Overall understands finer principles and uses complex English well. |
| 8 points – very good | Has command of the language, with only occasional errors such as inaccuracies or inappropriateness. However, these errors are not systematic. In unfamiliar situations, may not understand or use English well enough to discuss complex, sophisticated topics. |
| 9 points – fluent | Can use English with complete fluency. |
Benefits of having a high IELTS score
The demand for IELTS in Vietnam has been increasing in the past two years, especially with the high IELTS scores that many people have achieved. You should note the following benefits of having a high IELTS score certificate:
Exemption from English exam and university admission upon high school graduation
English listening, speaking, reading, writing proficiency
Qualified for graduation
More career options
Learning IELTS early forms logical thinking
An education expert believes that children should start studying IELTS from grades 6-7 because this is when they start to develop their personality and positive thinking. Students who take the IELTS exam have the advantage of logical thinking, self-confidence, good presentation skills and the ability to debate deeply. These are qualities that will help you study and work the hardest.
With the great benefits that IELTS certificate brings, IELTS exam preparation is of interest to many people. To achieve high scores and shorten the preparation time, you can register IELTS course Review for the exam at ETEST English Center to experience a systematic learning path with a team of experienced teachers.
Teachers at ETEST English Study Abroad include former IELTS examiners and graduates from prestigious universities around the world. With many practical experiences, they are always willing to share many different experiences with students. This is very important and an advantage in the IELTS Writing test.
At ETEST Study Abroad English, you will be tutored by 2 teachers/class with a small class size of only 3-6 students. This helps increase interaction time with teachers, effectively improving weak skills. This is the optimal IELTS training method that many candidates have applied and achieved high results.
Above is How to calculate IELTS score The most specific and accurate information that candidates can refer to in order to prepare for the upcoming IELTS exam. Based on this IELTS band calculation, you should make a study plan that is suitable for your current English level. For the most systematic and effective study process, you can contact ETEST English for Study Abroad for quick support.
For detailed instructions on taking the IELTS exam you can find out more about the instructions. Register for IELTS
References:
- How IELTS is scored: https://www.ielts.org/for-test-takers/how-ielts-is-scored
- IELTS scoring in detail: https://www.ielts.org/for-organisations/ielts-scoring-in-detail
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