IELTS · Free tools
IELTS Reading band score calculator
Choose Academic or General Training and enter your correct answers out of 40. In Academic, 30 correct answers is band 7.0 and 27 is 6.5; General Training needs more for the same band: 34 for 7.0 and 32 for 6.5.
Your band
6.5
| Target band | Correct answers needed | From your score |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 19 | reached |
| 6.0 | 23 | reached |
| 6.5 | 27 | reached |
| 7.0 | 30 | +3 |
| 7.5 | 33 | +6 |
| 8.0 | 35 | +8 |
The conversion tables are the ones IELTS partners publish as a guide; the exact cut-offs can move by one or two answers from test to test.
Get a real score in a timed practice test| Correct answers | Your band |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8.0 |
| 33–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–32 | 7.0 |
| 27–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–26 | 6.0 |
| 19–22 | 5.5 |
| 15–18 | 5.0 |
| 13–14 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4.0 |
| 8–9 | 3.5 |
| 6–7 | 3.0 |
| 4–5 | 2.5 |
| Correct answers | Your band |
|---|---|
| 40 | 9.0 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37–38 | 8.0 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34–35 | 7.0 |
| 32–33 | 6.5 |
| 30–31 | 6.0 |
| 27–29 | 5.5 |
| 23–26 | 5.0 |
| 19–22 | 4.5 |
| 15–18 | 4.0 |
| 12–14 | 3.5 |
| 9–11 | 3.0 |
| 6–8 | 2.5 |
Why the two Reading tables differ
Academic texts are longer and more demanding than General Training texts, so General Training needs more correct answers for the same band. Both are marked out of 40 with one mark per question.
Which version do you need? Universities ask for Academic; work, migration and many visas ask for General Training. The Reading guide covers every question type and the strategy for 60 minutes.
Where Reading marks are lost
- Word limits: an answer over the limit scores zero.
- Not Given vs False: the most common trap in the test.
- Time: about 20 minutes per text, with no extra time to transfer answers.
The Listening calculator works the same way, and the band score calculator gives your overall band from all four sections.
Questions
How many correct answers do I need for 7.0 in Academic Reading?
About 30 out of 40. In General Training you need about 34.
What is band 6.5 in Reading?
About 27 correct answers in Academic and about 32 in General Training.
Is the table official?
It is the typical conversion IELTS partners publish. Each test version has its own cut-offs, which can differ by an answer or two.
More free IELTS tools
- Band score calculator: All four sections → your overall band
- Listening band calculator: Correct answers out of 40 → band
- Score converter: IELTS ↔ CEFR, TOEFL, Duolingo, PTE
- Speaking topic generator: Part 1, cue cards with a timer, Part 3
- Writing topic generator: Task 2 essays, Task 1 charts and letters