IELTS Assessment & Scoring (British Council Academic IELTS: Speaking): Study Material
How is IELTS assessed & scored?
IELTS assessment and scoring
You receive a band score from 1 to 9 for each section: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking
You receive an overall band score that is the average of the four band scores for each section
You can get half scores (e.g., 5.5) and your overall score is rounded to the nearest whole or half band
If the average ends in 0.25, your score is rounded up to the next half band (e.g., 5.25 -> 5.5)
If the average ends in 0.75, your score is rounded up to the next whole band (e.g., 5.75 -> 6)
For example:
Reading: 5.5
Listening: 7
Writing: 6.5
Speaking: 6
Overall band score:
5.5 + 7 + 6.5 + 6 = 25
25/4 = 6.25
Overall score: 6.5
The four sections of the test are assessed differently:
Listening and Reading are marked by counting the number of correct answers
Writing and Speaking are assessed using official IELTS band descriptors
How are Listening and Reading scored?
You answer 40 questions in each paper
Your score is based on the number of correct answers
Scores are converted into a band score (Band 1–9)
There is no penalty for wrong answers
How are Writing and Speaking scored?
Writing
Assessed using four criteria:
Task Achievement / Task Response
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Each criterion is scored from Band 1–9, then averaged to give your Writing score.
Speaking
Assessed using four criteria:
Fluency and Coherence
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Pronunciation
Each criterion is scored from Band 1–9 and then averaged to give your Speaking score.
IELTS band scores
Band | User Level | Description |
9 | Expert user | Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. |
8 | Very good user | Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well. |
7 | Good user | Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. |
6 | Competent user | Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. |
5 | Modest user | Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. |
4 | Limited user | Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language. |
3 | Extremely limited user | Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur. |
2 | Intermittent user | No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs. Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. |
1 | Non‑user | Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. |
0 | Did not attempt | No assessable information provided. |
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