📚 IELTS Reading Band Score Explained

Whether you’re taking the Academic or General Training IELTS exam, understanding how your Reading band score is calculated can help you set goals and track your improvement more effectively. This article breaks down the official IELTS Reading scoring system, including conversion charts and expert tips.

📋 Total Questions and Scoring Basics

The Reading test has 40 questions
You receive 1 point for each correct answer
No negative marking — incorrect answers don’t reduce your score
Your raw score (out of 40) is converted into a band score (from 1 to 9)

📊 IELTS Reading Score Conversion – Academic

Correct Answers	Band Score
39–40	Band 9
37–38	Band 8.5
35–36	Band 8
33–34	Band 7.5
30–32	Band 7
27–29	Band 6.5
23–26	Band 6
19–22	Band 5.5
15–18	Band 5
13–14	Band 4.5
10–12	Band 4

📊 IELTS Reading Score Conversion – General Training

General Training scoring is a bit more lenient than Academic:

Correct Answers	Band Score
40	Band 9
39	Band 8.5
37–38	Band 8
36	Band 7.5
34–35	Band 7
32–33	Band 6.5
30–31	Band 6
27–29	Band 5.5
23–26	Band 5
19–22	Band 4.5

🧠 Key Differences Between Academic & General Reading

📖 Academic texts are longer and more complex, taken from journals or articles
📄 General texts are practical and workplace-based — easier overall
🧮 Scoring reflects this difference: you need fewer correct answers in General Training to reach the same band

📌 Tips to Improve Your IELTS Reading Score

✔️ Learn question types (True/False/Not Given, Matching, Summary Completion, etc.)
✔️ Time yourself — many students struggle with finishing all 3 passages
✔️ Don’t leave blanks — guess intelligently if unsure
✔️ Review your mistakes after each practice test

🎯 Final Thoughts

Your IELTS Reading band score is determined by your raw score — so every correct answer counts. Use the conversion tables above to track your progress during practice and identify how many points you need to reach your target band.

See also IELTS Reading Tips for Band 8+

📣

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