IELTS stands for International Language Testing System. It has two formats: Academic and General Training. Both of the exams analyzes four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. In this blog, you will learn about the IELTS general reading score and the way it is calculated. Moreover, you will come across a band score comparison of IELTS academic and IELTS general training. Let us begin with a brief overview of IELTS general reading score.
Table of Contents
The reading section of the IELTS general training exam has three different tasks and 40 questions to attempt. Moreover, it lasts for 60 minutes. The prompts, in this section, are from books, magazines, newspapers, notices, advertisements, company handbooks, and guidelines. Each of the correct answer is awarded 1 mark and there are no negative markings for wrong answers. The general reading band scores are different from the IELTS academic. You will find the differences in the later sections.
The IELTS Reading score is calculated on the basis of correct answers provided by a candidate in the reading section. In this section, you will learn how general reading band scores are calculated.
The reading section of the IELTS exam has 40 questions. Each of the correct marks is awarded 1 mark. On the other hand, there is no negative marking for any incorrect answers. So, the marks awarded for each correct answer are your raw score.
In the next step, the raw scores are converted to scaled scores. Here, any minor variations with the difficulty level are done. In also means that this process ensures fair and consistent across different test versions.
The scaled score is further mapped to an IELTS band score on a scale of 0 to 9. These are either a whole number or a half-band score. Refer to the table below to know the relationship between general reading band score and the raw score.
| Band Score | Number of Correct Answers |
| 9 | 40 |
| 8 | 35-39 |
| 7 | 30-34 |
| 6 | 23-29 |
| 5 | 15-22 |
| 4 | 8-14 |
| 3 or below | 0-7 |
This table shows the conversion of correct answers to the band scores. Moreover, you can use the IELTS band score calculator tool. This enumerates the expected band scores of the test taker. Also, it shows accurate results and has user-friendly interface. Not only this but also it is accessible across various devices and operating systems. This was all about this online tool. Now let us know the difference between IELTS reading general score and IELTS academic reading score.
The reading skills of a candidate are determined by the scores they have achieved in the test. In the case of the IELTS, it is called IELTS reading score. The raw score that candidates receive is the basis for calculating their band score for reading. Here, the comparison of reading band score chart for general and IELTS academic reading scores is in the table below:
| IELTS Band Score | IELTS Academic Reading Raw Score | IELTS General Training Reading Raw Score |
| 9 | 40-39 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 38-37 | 39 |
| 8 | 36-35 | 37-38 |
| 7.5 | 34-33 | 36 |
| 7 | 32-30 | 34-35 |
| 6.5 | 29-27 | 32-33 |
| 6 | 26-23 | 30-31 |
| 5.5 | 22-19 | 27-29 |
| 5 | 18-15 | 23-26 |
| 4.5 | 14-13 | 19-22 |
| 4 | 12-10 | 15-18 |
| 3.5 | 9-8 | 12-14 |
| 3 | 7-6 | 9-11 |
The table above throws light on the brief comparison between IELTS Academic reading section and IELTS reading general score. This shows how they are different. In the next section, you will read some expert’s tips to get good IELTS band score in this section.
In this section, you will find the expert’s tips. following these, you will be able to ace the IELTS general reading test in the first attempt. Let’s explore.
Following these tips will help you get desired IELTS reading general score in the first attempt. Also, you can sign up for IELTS reading mock test for practice. Many platforms gives you the privilege of buying the mock test without enrolling in their classes. Thus, Gradding is one of them. Enrol now and ace the test with desired band scores.
Generally the band score of 7.0 or above considered good for IELTS general exam. Also, it meets admission requirements of many foreign universities and immigration purpose.
The lowest marks in the IELTS general is 0. It is given to those students who did not take the test or not provide answers to the asked question.
The IELTS reading section consists of total 40 questions. For every right answer, the candidates get 1 marks. After the completion of the task the total marks are converted into the IELTS 9 band scores. In addition, they are denoted in whole or half band scores.
Among the four sections- reading, writing, speaking, and listening you can take any one of them. In addition the duration of it remains the same as the individual IELTS test.
To improve your IELTS general reading score you can use the following tips:
We are available in :
BangaloreAhmedabadJaipurHyderabadKeralaPuneChandigarhMumbaiGurgaonChennaiKolkataTrivandrumNoidaKochiCalicutKottayamKollamThrissurIndoreUdaipurdisclaimer:logos and other registered trademarks of universities used on this platform are held by their respective owners. Gradding does not claim ownership or association on them, and their use is purely for informational and illustrative purposes.
