IELTS Reading has 40 questions in 60 minutes, and each correct answer gets 1 mark. The number of correct answers is your raw score. IELTS then converts it into a band on the 1 to 9 scale, in whole or half bands: 30 out of 40 in Academic Reading is usually band 7.
Academic and General Training use the same band scale but different conversion tables. IELTS explains that Academic texts may use more difficult vocabulary or a more complex style, so General Training usually needs more correct answers for the same band. Check which test you're taking before you read the table.
IELTS Reading band score chart
Find your raw score in the column for your test. The ranges come from IDP, one of the three organisations that run IELTS, and they match the key points on ielts.org: 15, 23, 30 and 35 correct answers for bands 5, 6, 7 and 8 in Academic, and 15, 23, 30 and 35 for bands 4, 5, 6 and 7 in General Training.
| Band | Academic Reading (correct out of 40) | General Training Reading (correct out of 40) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 39-40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37-38 | 39 |
| 8 | 35-36 | 37-38 |
| 7.5 | 33-34 | 36 |
| 7 | 30-32 | 34-35 |
| 6.5 | 27-29 | 32-33 |
| 6 | 23-26 | 30-31 |
| 5.5 | 19-22 | 27-29 |
| 5 | 15-18 | 23-26 |
| 4.5 | 13-14 | 19-22 |
| 4 | 10-12 | 15-18 |
| 3.5 | 8-9 | 12-14 |
| 3 | 6-7 | 9-11 |
| 2.5 | 4-5 | Not provided by IDP |
IDP lists ranges from band 2.5 in Academic and from band 3 in General Training. For a lower result, use the scale of the practice test you took.
Two things stand out. At the top of General Training, every single answer counts: 39 is 8.5, 40 is 9. And the same raw score means different bands in the two tests: 30 correct answers is band 7 in Academic but band 6 in General Training.
Most practice scores sit close to a cut-off. In 6 in 10 full Reading mocks on GoPrep, one or two more correct answers would have reached the next half band (9,317 of 15,640 mocks, 28 July to 26 September 2026). With 28 out of 40 in Academic, for example, 30 correct answers would move you from 6.5 to 7.
How many correct answers you need for band 6, 7 or 8
Work backwards from your target. This table shows the lowest raw score for each band in the chart above and how many questions you can get wrong or leave blank.
| Target band | Academic: correct (can miss) | General Training: correct (can miss) |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 19 (21) | 27 (13) |
| 6 | 23 (17) | 30 (10) |
| 6.5 | 27 (13) | 32 (8) |
| 7 | 30 (10) | 34 (6) |
| 7.5 | 33 (7) | 36 (4) |
| 8 | 35 (5) | 37 (3) |
For band 7 in Academic Reading, you can miss about 10 questions out of 40. In General Training, about 6.
These are the lowest points of each range, and IELTS says the precise number of marks needed "will vary slightly from test version to test version". IDP adds that this is because different texts are used on different occasions. Treat the table as a close guide, not a promise, and aim above the listed threshold in practice: if your target is 7 in Academic, aim for 31 or 32, not exactly 30.
Where Reading answers are lost at band 5, 6 and 7
GoPrep Reading mocks are marked against an answer key. In the analysed sample, almost all mocks were Academic, and raw scores and bands matched the Academic conversion table above. Since 22 September 2026, GoPrep General Training Reading mocks are converted with the General Training table. The average first full mock was 18 out of 40, band 5.0, and 52% of first mocks were below 5.5 (5,006 students, 28 July to 26 September 2026).
Across full Reading mocks and single Reading sections from 28 August to 26 September 2026, a third of the answers that scored 0 were left blank (62,917 of 189,832). But blanks are not spread evenly. Here is how the lost answers look at three levels.
| Band of the mock | Blanks among lost answers | Mocks with 2 or more blanks | Highest error rates by question type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0-5.5 (536 students) | 17% | 42% | Sentence endings 69%, matching headings 66%, sentence completion 61% |
| 6.0-6.5 (533 students) | 8% | 20% | Sentence endings 44%; multiple choice, Yes/No/Not Given and matching headings 42% each |
| 7.0-7.5 (293 students) | 4% | 9% | Sentence endings 32%, Yes/No/Not Given 30%, multiple choice 26% |
Blanks are mostly a lower-band problem. At 5.0 to 5.5, 4 in 10 mocks had two or more empty lines. In the 6.0 to 7.5 groups, more than 9 in 10 lost marks were wrong answers to questions the student did try. Matching sentence endings had the highest error rate in all three groups, and Yes/No/Not Given and multiple choice stayed near the top at band 7.
So your first check depends on your score. Below 6, count your blanks and see where in the test they are. From 6 up, sort your wrong answers by question type and practise the type that loses you the most.
Marking rules that cost correct answers
The examiner compares what you wrote with a fixed answer key. You can understand the passage and still lose the mark:
- A blank always scores 0. There is no negative marking, so a wrong guess costs nothing extra. Put an answer on every line before time runs out.
- Going over the word limit loses the mark. If the instruction says NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER, three words score 0, says ielts.org. A hyphenated word such as check-in counts as one word.
- Spelling counts. In the General Training test description, IELTS warns that you will lose marks for incorrect spelling. When the answer is a word from the passage, copy it letter by letter instead of writing it from memory.
Practice: one passage, three gaps
We wrote this short passage for the guide. Answer the three gaps first, then check the table below.
The town of Harlow Vale opened its first community garden in 2019 on a former car park behind the railway station. Volunteers built twelve raised beds from recycled timber, and a local school now uses three of them for science lessons. Water comes from a rain tank on the station roof. The garden is open every weekend, and new volunteers attend a two-hour induction before they are given a key.
Complete the notes. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- The garden was built on an old ______.
- The raised beds are made of ______.
- Before they get a key, volunteers complete a ______.
| Gap | Answer written | Mark | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | car park | 1 | Two words, copied from the passage |
| 1 | former car park | 0 | Three words: true, but over the limit |
| 2 | recycled timber | 1 | Copied letter by letter |
| 2 | recicled timber | 0 | Right meaning, wrong spelling |
| 2 | wood | 0 | Not a word from the passage, and the instruction asks for one |
| 3 | two-hour induction | 1 | Two-hour is one hyphenated word, so this is two words |
| 3 | (blank) | 0 | A blank always scores 0. A guess could have scored 1 |
Three of the four 0s in that table come from answers that show the right understanding of the text. After each mock, look at every answer that was blank or rejected and name the reason: time, spelling, the word limit or the passage itself.
How to read your mock score
Say you're taking Academic IELTS, need 7.0 in Reading, and your last mock was 28 out of 40.
- Find the band. 28 is in the 27-29 row: band 6.5.
- Count the answers you're missing. Band 7 starts at 30, so you're 2 answers short. Aim for 31 or 32 in practice rather than stopping at the listed threshold.
- Find where the answers went. Check the answers you lost first and identify whether the problem was timing, spelling, the instructions or understanding the passage. At this level, blanks are rarely the main loss: in the latest mocks of 236 GoPrep students who scored 27 to 29, at least half had no blanks at all and only 14% had two or more (28 August to 26 September 2026). Sorting your wrong answers by question type usually tells you more.
The same 28 in General Training would be band 5.5, and band 7 there starts at 34.
Your Reading band in the overall score
Reading is one of four sections. Your overall band is the average of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, and an average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, .75 up to the next whole band (ielts.org). So half a band in Reading can move your overall score. Our guide on how the IELTS band score is calculated walks through the averaging, and the Listening band score guide has the table for the other 40-question section.
FAQ
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Reading?
About 30 out of 40 in Academic Reading and about 34 to 35 out of 40 in General Training. The exact number varies slightly between test versions, so aim a little higher in practice.
Is 30 out of 40 a band 7 in IELTS Reading?
In Academic Reading, 30 out of 40 is usually band 7. In General Training, 30 out of 40 is usually band 6.
What is 27 out of 40 in IELTS Reading?
In Academic Reading, 27 out of 40 is usually band 6.5, the lowest score in that range. In General Training, it is usually band 5.5.
What is 35 out of 40 in IELTS General Training Reading?
Usually band 7: in the IDP table, 34 to 35 correct answers is band 7 in General Training. The same 35 in Academic Reading is usually band 8.
What is a good IELTS Reading score?
There is no single good score. It depends on what you need the result for: check the overall band and the Reading minimum set by your university, employer or visa programme, then use the table to turn that minimum into a number of correct answers.
Why does General Training Reading need more correct answers?
Both tests use the same band scale, but Academic texts may use more difficult vocabulary and a more complex style. IELTS says it is usual for General Training to need more correct answers for the same band.
Are marks taken off for wrong answers in IELTS Reading?
No. Each correct answer gets 1 mark and there is no negative marking, so answer every question, even with a guess.
Does spelling count in IELTS Reading?
Yes. A misspelled answer loses the mark, and so does an answer that goes over the word limit. Copy words from the passage exactly.
What to do with your score
The table turns a band target into a number of answers, and the gap between your mock score and the start of the next band shows how many more correct answers you need. For new timed tests, try a free IELTS mock test or Cambridge IELTS practice books. The next step is a plan. Tell the quiz your target score, your exam date and the part of IELTS you find hardest, and GoPrep will build a personal study plan around your answers.
GoPrep Team
GoPrep guide authors
We write about IELTS preparation using platform data and official exam materials.
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