What is 30 out of 40 in IELTS Reading?
Quick answer
IELTS.org lists 30 marks as the average for Academic Reading band 7, so 30 out of 40 sits on that point; band 8 is 35. The indicative table the site's band calculator uses reads 30 to 32 as an estimated 7.0 in Academic, and in General Training 6.0 for 30 and 31, 6.5 for 32.
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Part of The IELTS test, answered
Thirty marks lands on one of the best-known points in the Reading chart, and the answer differs sharply between the two versions of the test.
Thirty on the published list
IELTS.org lists Academic band 7 at 30 marks and band 8 at 35, so 30 to 32 starts on the band 7 point and stops three short of band 8. General Training is stricter. Its list gives band 6 at 30 and band 7 at 35, which means the very same 30 is a band 6 point there. The reason IELTS.org gives is that Academic texts may use more difficult vocabulary or more complex style, and that more questions usually have to be answered correctly in General Training to secure a band. The listed numbers are averages.
The indicative reading
The table behind the band score calculator puts 30 to 32 at 7.0 for Academic. For General Training it splits the row: 30 and 31 read as 6.0, and 32 reads as 6.5. All of this is an estimate, and IELTS.org is plain about why: “The precise number of marks needed to achieve these band scores will vary slightly from test version to test version.” A candidate on 30 is at the very edge of the row, so on a given test version the band can be the one below. Whether 7.0 counts as good is discussed in is band 7 in IELTS good.
Reading and the overall
Reading is one of four sections averaged and rounded to the nearest half band. A 7.0 here can balance a 6.5 elsewhere, and the calculator will show whether the average holds at 7.0.
The step above
Three more marks, to 33, reach the indicative 7.5 in Academic, covered in the 33 to 34 page. For the rows beneath, the nearest neighbour is 27 out of 40.
Practising
The site’s Reading practice test is marked in the browser and returns an indicative band from this same table.
What this means for your score
A candidate answers 31 of 40 questions correctly in a timed Reading test. In Academic that is one mark past the 30 listed for band 7 and four short of the 35 listed for band 8, estimated at 7.0. In General Training the 31 is past the 30 listed for band 6 and four short of the 35 listed for band 7, estimated at 6.0.
Frequently asked questions
Is 30 out of 40 a good Reading score?
In Academic it reaches IELTS.org's band 7 point, estimated at 7.0, which meets many stated requirements and misses others. It depends on the band you need.
Which table is the official one?
IELTS.org's own list, which holds four points for each version and says the marks needed vary slightly. The single-mark rows, including this one, are estimates.
How many marks for the next band?
The next indicative row, 33 to 34, reads as 7.5 in Academic, so 3 more than 30. The next point IELTS.org lists is 35 for band 8, which is 5 more than 30.
What is 30 to 32 out of 40 in General Training?
The indicative table reads 30 and 31 as 6.0 and 32 as 6.5. IELTS.org lists 30 as the General Training band 6 point and 35 as band 7, so 32 is still 3 short of that.
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 11 Nov 2026
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