Free tool
IELTS Reading band score calculator.
Choose Academic or General Training and enter how many of the 40 Reading questions you got right. You will see your band and how many more correct answers reach the next one.
Approximate Reading band
7.0
Boundaries shift slightly between test versions, so treat this as a close estimate. Below band 4.0 there is no published conversion, so the calculator does not guess one. No sign-up, nothing stored.
IELTS Reading band score chart
Reading has 40 questions and each correct answer is worth one mark. Your total out of 40 is converted to a band in whole and half bands. No marks are taken off for a wrong answer.
IELTS's own reference points (correct answers → band)
- Academic Reading: 15 → 5 · 23 → 6 · 30 → 7 · 35 → 8
- General Training Reading: 15 → 4 · 23 → 5 · 30 → 6 · 35 → 7
The chart below agrees with every one of these.
Academic Reading
| Correct answers | 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 |
General Training Reading
| Correct answers | 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 |
For how the scoring works and how to gain marks, read the Reading band score guide. To combine this band with your other three skills, use the overall band score calculator. Need a real score to enter? Take a Reading test, free and unlimited.
Common questions
How do I calculate my IELTS Reading band score?
Count your correct answers out of 40, then convert the total with the chart for your test type. Academic and General Training use different charts. For example, 30 correct is about band 7.0 on Academic and about band 6.0 on General Training.
What is 30 out of 40 in IELTS Reading?
About band 7.0 on Academic Reading and about band 6.0 on General Training Reading. Both are official IELTS reference points.
Why does General Training Reading need more correct answers?
The General Training texts are easier, so more correct answers are needed to show the same level. Band 7 needs about 30 correct on Academic and 34 to 35 on General Training.
What Reading score do I need for band 6.5?
About 27 to 29 correct on Academic Reading and about 32 to 33 on General Training Reading. These are estimates between the official reference points, and the real boundary can move by a mark.
Are marks deducted for wrong answers in Reading?
No. A wrong answer scores the same as a blank, so never leave a question empty. An answer over the word limit or copied with a spelling mistake is marked wrong.
Is the Reading band score chart the same for computer and paper tests?
Yes. The questions, the marking and the conversion are the same for computer-delivered and paper IELTS. Only the test type, Academic or General Training, changes the chart.
Your target band is closer than you think.
Start today with one essay or one Cambridge test. Ten minutes is enough.