What is 16 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
Quick answer
IELTS.org's published average for Listening band 5 is 16 marks out of 40, so 16 sits on that point and 17 is one mark above it. The indicative table the site's band calculator uses reads both scores as band 5.0. That reading is an estimate, not an IELTS.org figure.
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Part of The IELTS test, answered
Sixteen or seventeen correct answers is the lowest row in this series, and it is the only row whose lower end IELTS.org prints itself.
Where the row sits on IELTS.org’s points
IELTS.org’s scoring page says the Listening test has 40 questions worth one mark each, converted to the nine-band scale and reported in whole and half bands. It lists the average marks at four levels: 16 for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8. So 16 is the published band 5 point, and 17 is one mark above it, six short of the band 6 point.
The estimate for the row
The indicative table the site’s band score calculator uses gives 16 to 17 marks as band 5.0. Only the 16 is anchored in IELTS.org’s list; the half-band steps around it are an estimate. IELTS.org says “The precise number of marks needed to achieve these band scores will vary slightly from test version to test version.” Read 5.0 as the likely band for your paper, not as something IELTS has promised. For what the band itself describes, see what level is IELTS 5.0.
Effect on your overall band
Listening is one of four sections. The overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band, so a 5.0 here is weighed beside Reading, Writing and Speaking, not on its own. The next row up on the indicative table starts at 18 marks and reads 5.5, so one extra correct answer from 17 is enough to move to it.
Practice
The Listening score is one test for Academic and General Training, as how the IELTS Listening score is calculated explains. The site’s Listening practice test is marked in the browser and shows an indicative band from the same table. A single result is one sample, so repeat it before drawing a conclusion.
What this means for your score
A candidate answers 16 of 40 questions correctly in a timed practice test. That is the very mark IELTS.org lists for band 5, so the score matches the published point, and the indicative row reads 5.0. A friend who gets 17 is one mark higher, still in the same indicative row and still 6 short of the 23 marks listed for band 6.
Frequently asked questions
Is 16 out of 40 a good Listening score?
It points to band 5.0 on the indicative table and sits on IELTS.org's band 5 point. Whether that is good depends on the band you need, because each university, employer or visa route sets its own requirement. Check the figure it asks for before judging the score.
Which table is the official one?
Only the points on IELTS.org's scoring page are official. For Listening they are 16 marks for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8, given as averages that vary slightly between test versions. The mark-by-mark table with half bands is an estimate.
How many marks for the next band?
On the indicative table, 18 marks reads as 5.5, which is one more than the top of this row. On IELTS.org's points, band 6 is listed at 23 marks, 6 above 17. Aim to clear a point with some margin, since the marks needed vary between versions.
Is Listening the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes. There is one Listening test and one conversion for both versions. Only Reading has separate conversions for Academic and General Training.
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