Understand and explain the IELTS scores

On the IELTS Test Report Form, you’ll find the overall band score and the results your students achieved in each part of the test.

Individual test scores

Scores for each of the four skills are equally weighted. The overall band scores are calculated by taking the mean result for each part of the test.

The overall band score 

Overall band scores are calculated to the nearest whole or half band. If the average score across the four skills – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking – ends in .25, it is rounded up to the next half band.
If it ends in .75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.

Band score	Skill level	Description
Band 9	Expert user	You 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 user	Your 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 0	Did not attempt the test	You did not answer the questions.

The Common European Framework (CEFR)

The CEFR is an international standard for describing language ability. It marks an individual's language skills along a six-mark scale ranging from A1 (beginners) to C2 (advanced).
IELTS scores range from 0 - 9. IELTS teachers can map scores against the Common European Framework to help gauge a student's language ability.
The scale helps IELTS teachers, examiners and students to compare language skills and scores from tests and qualifications.

How does IELTS map against CEFR?

How IELTS is assessed

The assessment criteria documents will help you and your learners understand the IELTS band scores, and give clear indications on English proficiency.

• Use the assessment criteria guidelines to:
• help you mark a learner’s written answers to questions
• help your learners improve their spoken English
• understand the key differences between band scores
• review and understand the criteria for specific band scores
• challenge more proficient learners to improve their writing and speaking to achieve higher band scores
• help learners of varying levels of proficiency improve and prepare within the same class. 

How is the test marked?

Examiners use detailed performance descriptors when marking IELTS and review a test taker’s ability in:

• task achievement
• coherence and cohesion
• lexical resource
• grammatical range and accuracy. 

Each question in the Listening and Reading sections is worth one mark. The Speaking test has three sections and the Writing task has two sections. Each section is marked according to the above criteria.