How IELTS is marked
Trained, certified examiners and consistent criteria keep IELTS fair and reliable worldwide.
IELTS is one of the most rigorously scored English language tests in the world. Every test is designed, written and marked to the same global standard, so an IELTS band score from Kuwait means exactly the same thing as a score from London, Sydney or Toronto.
You receive an individual band score for each of the four sections (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) on a scale from 0 to 9, plus an overall band score that is the average of the four.
Listening and Reading
Listening and Reading are marked against a precise answer key. Each correct answer is worth one mark out of 40, and the total raw score is then converted into the 0 to 9 band scale.
The conversion is calibrated by IELTS so that band scores are equivalent across all test versions, no test version is "easier" or "harder" than another.
Writing and Speaking
Writing and Speaking are assessed by trained, certified IELTS examiners using detailed, published band descriptors. Examiners are regularly monitored and re-certified to keep scoring consistent worldwide.
Writing assessment criteria
- Task achievement (Task 1) or task response (Task 2). How fully you answer the question.
- Coherence and cohesion. How clearly your ideas are organised and connected.
- Lexical resource. The range and accuracy of your vocabulary.
- Grammatical range and accuracy. The variety and correctness of your grammar.
Speaking assessment criteria
- Fluency and coherence. How smoothly and clearly you speak.
- Lexical resource. The range and accuracy of your vocabulary.
- Grammatical range and accuracy. The variety and correctness of your grammar.
- Pronunciation. How clearly you are understood.
How the overall band is calculated
Your four section scores are averaged, then rounded to the nearest whole or half band. For example, an average of 6.125 rounds down to 6.0, and 6.25 rounds up to 6.5.