How is the IELTS Reading score calculated?
Quick answer
Each of the 40 Reading questions earns one mark, and your total is converted to a band from 1 to 9, reported in whole or half bands. Academic and General Training use different conversions: IELTS.org lists 30 marks for band 7 in Academic, but 30 marks is band 6 in General Training, where band 7 is 35.
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Reading is scored like Listening, by counting correct answers, with one twist: the conversion depends on which version of the test you sit.
The marks
IELTS.org states that the Reading test contains 40 questions, that each correct answer is awarded one mark, and that scores out of 40 are converted to the IELTS nine-band scale. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
The points IELTS.org lists are these.
| Band | Academic Reading marks | General Training Reading marks |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | not listed | 15 |
| 5 | 15 | 23 |
| 6 | 23 | 30 |
| 7 | 30 | 35 |
| 8 | 35 | not listed |
IELTS.org describes these as the average number of marks scored at those levels, and states that the precise number needed varies slightly from test version to test version. Read across a row and the gap is obvious. Band 6 is 23 marks in Academic and 30 in General Training. Band 7 is 30 marks in Academic and 35 in General Training. The same 15 marks that give an Academic candidate band 5 give a General Training candidate band 4.
Why the tables differ
IELTS.org gives the reason directly. The Academic Reading test may contain texts with more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style, and it is usual for a greater number of questions to be answered correctly on a General Training Reading test to secure a given band score. That is why the two conversions differ.
This has a practical consequence for practice. If you are preparing for General Training, a score of 30 out of 40 in a practice test is a band 6 level performance, not a band 7 one. Use the General Training points when you judge your own results, and use the Academic points if that is your test. Mixing them makes a mock result look better or worse than it is.
Where it goes next
Your Reading band is one of the four section bands. IELTS.org states that the overall score is the average of the four section bands rounded to the nearest half band. The overall score answer gives the rule with worked examples, and the band score calculator lets you test a target.
What this means for your score
Suppose you answer 32 of 40 questions correctly. On the Academic points published by IELTS.org that is above the 30 marks listed for band 7. On the General Training points it is above the 30 marks listed for band 6 but short of the 35 listed for band 7. The same number of right answers points to a different band on each test.
Frequently asked questions
Why do General Training candidates need more correct answers for the same band?
IELTS.org explains that the Academic Reading test may contain texts with more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style. It adds that it is usual for a greater number of questions to be answered correctly on General Training to secure a given band. The two tests are graded on the same band scale, so only the number of marks needed changes.
Do I choose between Academic and General Training Reading?
You choose the test version when you book, not the Reading table. The version determines which texts you read and which conversion is used. Check which version the organisation you are applying to asks for before you book, and prepare with the conversion that matches it.
Is there a mark-by-mark table on IELTS.org?
IELTS.org lists conversion points for four bands in each version, not a mark for every band. Any longer table you find elsewhere is an estimate. Use the official points as guides for your own practice and aim to clear the next one with a margin.
Does Reading count the same as the other sections in my overall score?
Yes. IELTS.org states that the overall band is the average of the four section bands rounded to the nearest half band, so Reading counts equally with Listening, Writing and Speaking. A band gained in Reading moves the average by the same amount as a band gained anywhere else.
Sources
- IELTS scoring in detail: band scores explained — IELTS.org
- IELTS Academic: Reading test format — IELTS.org
- IELTS General Training: Reading test format — IELTS.org
Last verified 30 Sep 2026
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