The IELTS 9-band scale

You will be given a score from 1 to 9 for each part of the test Listening, Reading, Writing
and Speaking. The average produces your overall band score. You can score whole (e.g., 5.0, 6.0,
7.0) or half (e.g., 5.5, 6.5, 7.5) bands in each part of the test.
Bandscore

Skill level

Description

Expert user

You have a full operational command of the language. Your use of

English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and you show complete
understanding.

Very good
user

You have a fully operational command of the language with only

occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. You
may misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations. You handle
complex detailed argumentation well.

Band 7

Good user

You have an operational command of the language, though with

occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings
in some situations. Generally you handle complex language well and
understand detailed reasoning.

Band 6

Competent
user

Generally you have an effective command of the language despite

some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. You
can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in
familiar situations.

Band 5

Modest user

You have a partial command of the language, and cope with overall
meaning in most situations, although you are likely to make many
mistakes. You should be able to handle basic communication in your
own field.

Band 4

Your basic competence is limited to familiar situations. You

Limited user frequently show problems in understanding and expression. You are
not able to use complex language.

Band 3

Extremely
limited user

You convey and understand only general meaning in very familiar

situations. There are frequent breakdowns in communication.

Band 2

Intermittent
user

You have great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.

Band 1

Non-user

You have no ability to use the language except a few isolated words.

Band 0

Did not
attempt the
test

You did not answer the questions.

Band 9

Band 8

IELTS scores are trusted around the world

IELTS provides results for all levels of English: there is no such thing as a pass or fail.
Your scores will be given to you on a Test Report Form.
You can be confident that your score will be accepted by institutions, business and governments
in English-speaking countries worldwide.

Understand the Reading test

You will need to read quickly and efficiently, and manage your time
You will be asked to read three different passages and respond to related questions in your IELTS
Reading test.
The content of the Reading test is different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General
Training tests. Details of each version are given below.
Purpose of the test

The IELTS Reading test is designed to assess a wide range of reading skills, including how well
you

read for the general sense of a passage

read for the main ideas

read for detail

understand inferences and implied meaning

recognise a writers opinions, attitudes and purpose

follow the development of an argument

This is the case for whichever version of the IELTS test you are taking.
Timing

The IELTS Reading test takes 60 minutes.

You are not allowed any extra time to transfer your answers, so write them directly on to your
answer sheet.
You will need to manage your time during the test because you will not be told when to start or
finish each section.

Three sections

You will be given three different passages to read, each with accompanying questions. You can
expect to read 2,150 - 2,750 words in total during your test.
IELTS Academic Reading test

There are three sections to the IELTS Academic Reading test, and each contains one long text.
These are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers. They have been written for a
non-specialist audience and are on academic topics of general interest.
They range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive and analytical.
Each text might be accompanied by diagrams, graphs or illustrations, and you will be expected to
show that you understand these too.
A simple glossary is provided if the material contains technical terms.
IELTS General Training Reading test

There are three sections to the IELTS General Training Reading test.
The texts used in each section are taken from notices, advertisements, company handbooks,
official documents, books, magazines and newspapers.
Section 1 contains two or three short factual texts, one of which may be made up of 6 - 8 short
texts related by topic, e.g. hotel advertisements. The topics are relevant to everyday life in an
English-speaking country.
Section 2 contains two short factual texts focusing on work-related issues, e.g. applying for a job,
company policies, pay and conditions, workplace facilities, staff development and training.
Section 3 contains one longer, more complex text on a topic of general interest.
Questions

There are 40 questions.

A variety of question types is used. You may be asked to

fill gaps in a passage of written text or in a table

match headings to written text to diagrams or charts

complete sentences

give short answers to open questions

answer multiple choice questions

Sometimes you will need to give one word as your answer, sometimes a short phrase, and
sometimes simply a letter, number or symbol.
Make sure you read the instructions carefully.
Marking

Each correct answer receives one mark.

Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half
bands.

Make the most of your Reading test:

look out for the title, headings and any special features such as capital letters,
underlining, italics, figures, graphs and tables

make sure that you understand the questions and follow instructions carefully

pay attention to timing; do not spend too long on one passage or question

do not try and read every word; remember, you are reading for a purpose

if you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move
quickly onto the next one

do not panic if you do not know anything about the subject of the text; all the answers can
be found in the text

the word(s) you use must be taken from the Reading text; you must not change the form
of the word(s) in the text

do not worry if there is a word that you do not understand you may not need to use it

check your spelling

be careful to use singular and plural correctly

focus precisely on what you are asked to do in completion type questions

if the question asks you to complete the note in the and the correct answer is
evening, just use evening as your answer; note that in the evening would be incorrect

pay attention to the word limit; for example, if you are asked to complete a sentence
using no more than two words, if the correct answer is silk shirt, the answer shirt made
of silk would be incorrect

attempt all questions; there are no penalties for incorrect answers, so you have nothing to
lose

check your answers

Understand the Listening test

You will be listening for a purpose and hear a variety of accents.
A variety of voices is used in the IELTS Listening test, so you might hear Australian, British,
New Zealand or North American accents.
You will be listening to a pre-recorded CD-ROM, and the passages that you hear will increase in
difficulty as you go through the test.
The content of the Listening test is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General
Training tests.
Purpose of the test

The IELTS Listening test is designed to assess a wide range of listening skills, including how
well you

understand main ideas and specific factual information

recognise the opinions, attitudes and purpose of a speaker

follow the development of an argument

Timing

The IELTS Listening test takes approximately 30 minutes, and you are allowed an extra 10
minutes to transfer your answers from your question booklet to your answer sheet.
Four sections

The IELTS Listening test is broken down into four sections:

Secti
on

Description

You listen to a conversation between two people set in an everyday social

situation, e.g. a conversation in an accommodation agency, and answer
questions on your comprehension.

You listen to a monologue set in an everyday social situation, e.g. a speech

about local facilities or a talk about the arrangements for meals during a
conference.

You listen to a conversation between up to four people set in an educational

or training context, e.g. a university tutor and a student discussing an
assignment, or a group of students planning a research project.

You listen to a monologue on an academic subject, e.g. a university lecture.

You will begin by listening to a recording of instructions and a sample question for section 1.
Then you will read the questions for section 1, listen to section 1, and answer the questions.
This procedure is repeated for sections 2, 3 and 4.
In the final 10 minutes, you will transfer your answers onto the answer sheet.
Each section is heard once only.
Questions

There are 40 questions.

A variety of question types is used, and you may be asked to

answer multiple choice questions

label a plan, map or diagram

fill in a form

complete a table

complete a flow-chart

give short answers

Marking

Each correct answer receives one mark.

Scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS 9-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half
bands.
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Tips from IELTS candidates

IELTS 1001 ways app

Listening test advice

Follow this Listening test advice, and make sure you understand how to respond to 'completion'
type questions.
You will be given time to read through the questions before you listen. You will hear each
recording of the Listening test only once.
As you listen, write your answers on the question paper. At the end of the test, you will have 10
minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet in pencil. You may write your answers in
lower case or capital letters.
It is essential that you transfer your answers to the answer sheet. Nothing you write on the
question paper will be marked.

Make the most of your Listening test:

if you cannot hear the audio clearly, let a member of staff know straightaway

follow the instructions carefully; they may be different to practice or previous tests

listen for the specific information you want

try and anticipate what the speaker will say; this will require concentration

do not worry if there is a word you do not understand; you may not need to use it

if you do not know the answer to a question, attempt it but do not waste time; move
quickly onto the next one

be careful with your spelling and grammar

do not panic if you think the topic is too difficult or the speaker is too fast; relax and tune
in

read, write and listen at the same time

focus precisely on what you are asked to do in completion type questions

pay attention to the word limit; for example, if you are asked to complete a sentence
using no more than two words, if the correct answer is leather coat, the answer coat
made of leather would be incorrect

if the question asks you to complete the note in the and the correct answer is
morning, note that in the morning would be incorrect; the correct answer is 'morning'

attempt all questions; there are no penalties for incorrect answers

check your answers