The IELTS 9-band scaleYou 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

Band 9 Expert userYou have a full operational command of the language. Your use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and you show complete understanding.

Band 8 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 Limited userYour basic competence is limited to familiar situations. You 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 0Did not attempt the test

You did not answer the questions.

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 testThe 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 writer’s 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 testThe 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:

Section Description

1You 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.

2You 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.

3You 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.

4 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.

Main sections:

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1. Home 2. Prepare for your test 3. IELTS test day advice 4. Listening test advice

Prepare for your test

How to prepare for the IELTS test Understand the IELTS test format Free IELTS practice tests Free IELTS practice activities & resources IELTS preparation books and study guides Road to IELTS: e-learning and online practice assessment British Council courses IELTS test day advice

o Listening test advice o Reading test advice o Writing test advice

o Speaking test advice 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