IELTS band score chart for General Training reading and listening
IELTS Listening and Reading are marked out of 40. For General Training Reading, 30-31 correct is band 6, 34-35 is band 7 and 37-38 is band 8. For Listening, 30-31 is band 7 and 35-36 is band 8. Your overall band is the average of the four parts, rounded to the nearest half band.
Canadian immigration programmes accept IELTS General Training (GT), so this chart starts there. It gives the General Training Reading table, the Listening table, the Academic Reading table, how the overall band is rounded, what Writing and Speaking examiners look for, and how the bands convert to CLB and CEFR levels. Where two owner pages disagree we show both.
General Training (GT) Reading score chart
40 questions, one mark each. Find your correct answers, read across.
The General Training Reading test has 40 questions, built on three sections of texts, and every correct answer earns one mark. IDP's Canadian scoring page puts it simply: your answers are either correct or incorrect, and the total number of marks determines your band score. Here is the full conversion for General Training. It comes from IDP's South Africa results page, the one IDP page we found that prints the whole table for both versions:
| Correct answers (out of 40) | General Training Reading band |
|---|---|
| 40 | 9 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37-38 | 8 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34-35 | 7 |
| 32-33 | 6.5 |
| 30-31 | 6 |
| 27-29 | 5.5 |
| 23-26 | 5 |
| 19-22 | 4.5 |
| 15-18 | 4 |
| 12-14 | 3.5 |
| 9-11 | 3 |
If you are aiming for Canadian immigration, this is the table that matters, because IRCC asks for the General Training version. Band 6 is 30-31 correct, band 7 is 34-35 and band 8 is 37-38.
"The IELTS Academic and General Training Reading tests are graded on the same scale. The Academic Reading test may contain texts which feature more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style. It is usual that a greater number of questions must be answered correctly on a General Training Reading test to secure a given band score."
That is the key difference from Academic Reading, and the reason a score of 30 out of 40 means different things in the two tests. See the Academic table further down.
Three published versions of the same average marks
IELTS, IDP Australia and IDP Canada each print a short list of average marks for General Training instead of the full table, and they do not match on bands 7 and 8:
| Source | Band 4 | Band 5 | Band 6 | Band 7 | Band 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS.org scoring page | 15 | 23 | 30 | 35 | Not listed |
| IDP IELTS Australia reading page | 15 | 23 | 30 | 35 | Not listed |
| IDP IELTS Canada scoring page | 15 | 23 | 30 | 34 | 38 |
| IDP full table (range for each band) | 15-18 | 23-26 | 30-31 | 34-35 | 37-38 |
The first three rows are single average marks. The last row is the full range that IDP shows. All four agree on bands 4, 5 and 6. For bands 7 and 8 the shorter lists each pick one mark from the range: 35 or 34 for band 7, and 38 for band 8. Every owner says exact marks vary from one test version to the next. Our reading: aim for 35 for band 7 and 38 for band 8, so that a slightly harder paper does not leave you one mark short.
For the version you actually sit, the General Training Reading paper has three sections and 40 questions, and IELTS gives the total text length as 2150–2375 words. It is the amount of reading, not only the vocabulary, that makes pace the main challenge.
Listening score chart
The same for Academic and General Training.
The Listening test is the same whether you take Academic or General Training, so there is one table. It has 40 questions and one mark each. This is IDP's conversion, from its Australian results page:
| Correct answers (out of 40) | Listening band |
|---|---|
| 39-40 | 9 |
| 37-38 | 8.5 |
| 35-36 | 8 |
| 32-34 | 7.5 |
| 30-31 | 7 |
| 26-29 | 6.5 |
| 23-25 | 6 |
| 18-22 | 5.5 |
| 16-17 | 5 |
| 13-15 | 4.5 |
| 11-12 | 4 |
IDP Canada and IELTS both give shorter lists of average marks: 16 for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8. They match the bottom of the ranges above. For a Listening band of 7, plan on 30-31 correct answers, or a little more.
"The Listening test has four parts and you need to answer 40 questions in your IELTS Listening test. You get one mark for each correct answer. The total correct answers will determine your 'raw' score, from which your band score will be determined. It is very important to try to answer every question as a blank answer will get no marks."
Answer everything. A blank earns no mark, and the British Council says marks are not lost for incorrect answers.
One caution. The table is an average over many test versions. IDP says the actual marks vary slightly between tests due to the variation in listening questions used on different occasions.
Academic Reading score chart
For universities and professional bodies.
If you are studying in Canada you will usually sit Academic. The Academic Reading table is more generous: the same raw mark gives a higher band than General Training. IELTS lists the Academic Reading papers at a total text length of 2150–2750 words across 3 sections.
| Correct answers (out of 40) | Academic Reading band |
|---|---|
| 40-39 | 9 |
| 38-37 | 8.5 |
| 36-35 | 8 |
| 34-33 | 7.5 |
| 32-30 | 7 |
| 29-27 | 6.5 |
| 26-23 | 6 |
| 22-19 | 5.5 |
| 18-15 | 5 |
| 14-13 | 4.5 |
| 12-10 | 4 |
| 9-8 | 3.5 |
| 7-6 | 3 |
| 5-4 | 2.5 |
IDP Canada's shorter list gives the same average marks: 15 for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8. Compare with General Training: 30-31 correct is band 6 there, but 30 is band 7 here, and 32-30 is the Academic band 7 range.
Overall band score: how to calculate it
The average of four, rounded to the nearest half band.
"The Overall Band Score is the average of the four component scores, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. The component scores are weighted equally."
There is no separate formula to learn. Add the four section bands, divide by 4, and round to the nearest half band, as IELTS says. An average ending in .25 goes up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 goes up to the next whole band. IELTS's own examples include a round down, 6.125 becoming 6.0, and a round up, 3.875 becoming 4.0. IDP words the rule more loosely: it says an average that ends with a fraction below .25 or .75 is rounded down, which does not say what happens to the endings in between. Our examples below cover those.
| Test taker | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average of the four | Overall band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| B | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 |
| C | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
Those are IELTS's own examples. Here are six of ours, for checking your own sums. Use them as a hand calculator:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Total | Average | Overall band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 24.5 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 25.5 | 6.375 | 6.5 |
| 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 26.5 | 6.625 | 6.5 |
| 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 27 | 6.75 | 7.0 |
| 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 29.5 | 7.375 | 7.5 |
| 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 30 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
A strong overall band does not guarantee a Canadian target. Programmes that use CLB levels look at each part, so a 7.0 average with a 5.5 in Writing can still fall short. Look at the weakest part first.
What the bands mean for Canadian immigration: CLB
IRCC turns each IELTS part into a Canadian Language Benchmark level.
"IELTS: International English Language Testing System You must take the IELTS General Training option. We don’t accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry."
IRCC's tables work on each of the four parts, not on your overall band. It converts each part into a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level and checks the minimum for your programme. For Express Entry it accepts IELTS General Training only. This is IRCC's table, in the order IRCC prints it: Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing.
| CLB level | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 and above | 7.5-9.0 | 8.5-9.0 | 8.0-9.0 | 7.5-9.0 |
| 9 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Notice that the four parts are not equal. Listening needs 8.0 for CLB 9 while Reading needs only 7.0. At the lower levels, CLB 6, 5 and 4, Reading asks for the lowest band: for CLB 4, Reading is 3.5 while Listening is 4.5. That is useful when you plan which part to practise.
Which CLB your programme asks for
| Programme | Minimum IRCC asks for |
|---|---|
| Canadian Experience Class | CLB 7 in each of the 4 abilities if your job is TEER 0 or 1. CLB 5 if it is TEER 2 or 3. |
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | CLB 7 in each of the 4 abilities for your first official language. CLB 5 for a second official language. |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | CLB 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing. |
| Post-graduation work permit, bachelor's, master's or doctoral graduates | CLB 7 in all 4 language areas. |
| Post-graduation work permit, other university programs | CLB 7 in all 4 language areas. |
| Post-graduation work permit, college, polytechnic or other non-university graduates | CLB 5 in all 4 language areas. |
So CLB 7 is 6.0 in each part of IELTS General Training, and CLB 5 is 5.0 in Listening, Speaking and Writing but 4.0 in Reading. Our score converter and our IELTS to CLB page do the conversion for you, and CRS points for language shows how the levels turn into Express Entry points.
One rule from IRCC to remember: your test results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your Express Entry profile and again when you submit your application for permanent residence. This page explains scores. It is not immigration advice, so use the IRCC page for your programme as the final word.
Writing band descriptors
General Training Task 1 is a letter. Task 2 counts for twice as much.
There is no raw-score table for Writing. Examiners mark each task against four criteria, equally weighted. IDP says your Writing is marked by between 2 and 4 examiners, and that the criteria are the same for General Training and Academic. IELTS adds that Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to your Writing score, and that in General Training Task 1, task achievement refers to how well your letter achieves its purpose.
These are IDP's published Writing Task 1 descriptors for bands 9 down to 5, first line under each criterion. The full descriptors have more lines and cover the lower bands too. Task 2 uses the same four criteria, with task response in place of task achievement.
| Band | Task achievement | Coherence and cohesion | Lexical resource | Grammatical range and accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 9 | All the requirements of the task are fully and appropriately satisfied. | The message can be followed effortlessly. | Full flexibility and precise use are evident within the scope of the task. | A wide range of structures within the scope of the task is used with full flexibility and control. |
| Band 8 | The response covers all the requirements of the task appropriately, relevantly and sufficiently. | The message can be followed with ease. | A wide resource is fluently and flexibly used to convey precise meanings within the scope of the task. | A wide range of structures within the scope of the task is flexibly and accurately used. |
| Band 7 | The response covers the requirements of the task. | Information and ideas are logically organised and there is a clear progression throughout the response. A few lapses may occur. | The resource is sufficient to allow some flexibility and precision. | A variety of complex structures is used with some flexibility and accuracy. |
| Band 6 | The response focuses on the requirements of the task and an appropriate format is used. | Information and ideas are generally arranged coherently and there is a clear overall progression. | The resource is generally adequate and appropriate for the task. | A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used but flexibility is limited. |
| Band 5 | The response generally addresses the requirements of the task. The format may be inappropriate in places. | Organisation is evident but is not wholly logical and there may be a lack of overall progression. Nevertheless, there is a sense of underlying coherence to the response. | The resource is limited but minimally adequate for the task. | The range of structures is limited and rather repetitive. |
Our reading: for a General Training letter, band 7 expects a clear purpose and an appropriate tone, and band 6 expects the purpose to be generally clear. The step up from 6 to 7 is a clearer purpose, a consistent tone and bullet points that are more clearly highlighted.
Speaking band descriptors
Four criteria, a quarter each.
The examiner marks Speaking against four criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Each band has a published description, and IDP lists them criterion by criterion. IELTS says each criterion carries equal weighting, and the British Council says each contributes 25% to your Speaking band score. IDP's published descriptors for bands 9 down to 5, first line under each criterion:
| Band | Fluency and coherence | Lexical resource | Grammatical range and accuracy | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 9 | Speaks fluently with only rare repetition or self-correction; any hesitation is content-related rather than to find words or grammar | Uses vocabulary with full flexibility and precision in all topics | Uses a full range of structures naturally and appropriately | Uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety |
| Band 8 | Speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or self-correction; hesitation is usually content-related and only rarely to search for language | Uses a wide vocabulary resource readily and flexibly to convey precise meaning | Uses a wide range of structures flexibly | Uses a wide range of pronunciation features |
| Band 7 | Speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence | Uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of topics | Uses a range of complex structures with some flexibility | Shows all the positive features of Band 6 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 8 |
| Band 6 | Is willing to speak at length, though may lose coherence at times due to occasional repetition, self-correction or hesitation | Has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length and make meaning clear in spite of inappropriacies | Uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but with limited flexibility | Uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control |
| Band 5 | Usually maintains flow of speech but uses repetition, self correction and/or slow speech to keep going | Manages to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but uses vocabulary with limited flexibility | Produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy | Shows all features of band 4 and some, but not all the positive features of band 6 |
Our reading: the gap between band 6 and band 7 is mostly about control. At band 6 you may lose coherence at times; at band 7 you speak at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence. Practise talking for two minutes on a topic without stopping, and record yourself to hear where the thread breaks.
IELTS bands and CEFR levels
A rough guide, not a one-to-one match.
Some schools and employers ask for a CEFR level, the European scale that runs from A1 for beginners up to C2. IDP Canada publishes a comparison:
| CEFR level | IELTS band score |
|---|---|
| A1 | 2.0 - 3.0 |
| A2 | 3.0 - 3.5 |
| B1 | 4.0 - 5.0 |
| B2 | 5.5 - 6.5 |
| C1 | 7.0 - 8.0 |
| C2 | 8.5 - 9.0 |
"However, it is important to understand that there is no direct one-to-one correspondence."
So treat the table as a guide. Bands 5.5 to 6.5 fall in B2 and 7.0 to 8.0 in C1. If a school asks for B2, ask it which IELTS band it means, and use that band.
What each band means
Nine bands, from Non-user to Expert.
| Band | Skill level | IELTS says |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Expert | The test taker has fully operational command of the language. Their use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and shows complete understanding. |
| 8 | Very good | The test taker has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. They may misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations. They handle complex and detailed argumentation well. |
| 7 | Good | The test taker has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings in some situations. They generally handle complex language well and understand detailed reasoning. |
| 6 | Competent | The test taker has an effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. They can use and understand reasonably complex language, particularly in familiar situations. |
| 5 | Modest | The test taker has a partial command of the language and copes with overall meaning in most situations, although they are likely to make many mistakes. They should be able to handle basic communication in their own field. |
| 4 | Limited | The test taker's basic competence is limited to familiar situations. They frequently show problems in understanding and expression. |
| 3 | Extremely limited | The test taker conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. There are frequent breakdowns in communication. |
| 2 | Intermittent | The test taker has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. |
| 1 | Non-user | The test taker has no ability to use the language except a few isolated words. |
Band 0 means the test taker did not attempt the test. Whole and half bands are both reported.
How to use the chart
Convert, compare, and keep a cushion.
- Take a full timed practice test of the version you will sit. Convert Listening and Reading with the tables above. For General Training Reading, use the General Training table, not the Academic one.
- Ask a teacher or tutor for feedback on your Writing and Speaking against the criteria, and treat a tutor's band as an opinion, not a result. A formula cannot give you a Writing or Speaking band. Our IELTS courses page lists coaches and tutors.
- Turn each part into a CLB level if you need Canadian immigration. The weakest part sets your result.
- Add a cushion. For General Training Reading, aim for 35 correct for a band 7 and 38 for a band 8, the higher figures in the published lists.
- Aim for more than your target on two or three practice tests before you book.
What changed lately
Computer delivery, faster results, and Reading numbers that differ by page.
- IDP no longer offers the IELTS on paper test in Canada. Results for IELTS on Computer are typically available in 48 hours, and the British Council says typically in 1-2 days.
- IDP says IELTS on Computer (Writing on Paper) is now available at multiple test centres nationwide, and you choose Writing on Paper or Writing on Computer when booking.
- IRCC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry.
- The General Training Reading averages for bands 7 and 8 are printed differently on different owner pages, as the table above shows. The full IDP table is the most complete.
Common questions
Out of 40: 40 correct is band 9, 39 is 8.5, 37-38 is 8, 36 is 7.5, 34-35 is 7, 32-33 is 6.5, 30-31 is 6, 27-29 is 5.5, 23-26 is 5, 19-22 is 4.5, 15-18 is 4, 12-14 is 3.5 and 9-11 is 3. IDP says actual marks may differ slightly between tests, so aim for 35 for a band 7.
Out of 40: 39-40 correct is band 9, 37-38 is 8.5, 35-36 is 8, 32-34 is 7.5, 30-31 is 7, 26-29 is 6.5, 23-25 is 6, 18-22 is 5.5, 16-17 is 5, 13-15 is 4.5 and 11-12 is 4. It is the same for Academic and General Training.
No. IELTS says it is usual that a greater number of questions must be answered correctly on a General Training Reading test to secure a given band score. For example, 30 correct is band 7 on Academic but band 6 on General Training.
Average the four section bands and round to the nearest half band. If the average ends in .25 it goes up to the next half band, and if it ends in .75 it goes up to the next whole band. Example: 6.5, 5, 7 and 6.5 add up to 25, which divided by 4 is 6.25, so the overall band is 6.5.
IRCC's table for IELTS General Training gives 6.0 in each of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing for CLB 7.
You can estimate your overall band by hand: add the four section bands, divide by 4 and round to the nearest half band, using the .25 and .75 rule. The worked examples above show the arithmetic. Only Listening and Reading convert from correct answers. Writing and Speaking bands come from examiners, so an online grader can only guess. It is not an IELTS result.
IELTS calls band 8 "Very good" and band 9 "Expert". For Canadian immigration, IRCC's table gives CLB 9 as 7.0 in Speaking, 8.0 in Listening, 7.0 in Reading and 7.0 in Writing for IELTS General Training. What counts as high depends on what your programme asks for.
It is a preparation book. Cambridge University Press & Assessment, an IELTS partner, lists it in its catalogue with a May, 2025 edition and an earlier April, 2014 edition. It is not a score chart. For the score tables, use the owners' pages quoted on this page.