IELTS results are reported on a 9-band scale. Each skill — Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking — is scored separately. Your overall band is the average, rounded to the nearest half band.
What each band level means (summary)
| Band | CEFR | Typical ability |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | C2 | Expert user — full operational command |
| 8 | C1 | Very good user — occasional inaccuracies |
| 7 | C1 | Good user — handles complex language well |
| 6 | B2 | Competent user — generally effective communication |
| 5 | B1 | Modest user — partial command, many mistakes |
Writing criteria (both tasks)
Writing is marked on four equally weighted criteria:
- Task Achievement / Task Response — Did you answer the question fully?
- Coherence and Cohesion — Is the essay organised with clear progression?
- Lexical Resource — Range and accuracy of vocabulary
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Variety and correctness of grammar
Speaking criteria
- Fluency and Coherence — Speech flow, logic, and connectives
- Lexical Resource — Vocabulary range and collocation
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Pronunciation — Clarity and intelligibility (not accent)
Listening & Reading
These are marked by raw score (out of 40). The number of correct answers maps to a band. Academic Reading is generally harder to score highly than General Training Reading at the same band.
Goal setting: If you need Band 7.0 overall, you usually cannot score 6.0 in any one skill. Check university requirements — some specify a minimum per skill (e.g. Writing 6.5).