IELTS Reading Score Calculator
Correct answers
Your Academic Reading band: 7.0
Your Academic Reading band
30 of 40 correct
3 more correct answers would make it 7.5.
Cut-offs shift slightly between test versions, so a score on a boundary can land half a band either way.
You're half a band from 7.5.
Why General Training needs more correct answers
Both Reading tests have 40 questions and one mark for each correct answer, but the texts differ. Academic Reading uses long passages from books, journals and newspapers. General Training uses notices, adverts, workplace documents and one longer text on a general topic.
The General Training texts are less demanding, so the same band takes more correct answers. Band 6 takes about 23 in Academic and 30 in General Training, and band 7 about 30 and 34.
Academic Reading band score table
| Correct answers | Band | CEFR | Cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 | C2 | Commonly published |
| 37–38 | 8.5 | C2 | Commonly published |
| 35–36 | 8.0 | C1 / C2 | Official |
| 33–34 | 7.5 | C1 | Commonly published |
| 30–32 | 7.0 | C1 | Official |
| 27–29 | 6.5 | B2 / C1 | Commonly published |
| 23–26 | 6.0 | B2 | Official |
| 19–22 | 5.5 | B2 | Commonly published |
| 15–18 | 5.0 | B1 / B2 | Official |
| 13–14 | 4.5 | B1 | Commonly published |
| 10–12 | 4.0 | B1 | Commonly published |
| 0 to 9 | No band published | ||
IELTS publishes only four Academic Reading cut-offs: 15 marks for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8. The other rows come from the table printed with Cambridge’s official practice tests, which agrees with those four but is not on an official IELTS page.
General Training Reading band score table
| Correct answers | Band | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 9.0 | C2 |
| 39 | 8.5 | C2 |
| 37–38 | 8.0 | C1 / C2 |
| 36 | 7.5 | C1 |
| 34–35 | 7.0 | C1 |
| 32–33 | 6.5 | B2 / C1 |
| 30–31 | 6.0 | B2 |
| 27–29 | 5.5 | B2 |
| 23–26 | 5.0 | B1 / B2 |
| 19–22 | 4.5 | B1 |
| 15–18 | 4.0 | B1 |
| 0 to 14 | No band published | |
IDP publishes this table. For band 7, ielts.org quotes 35 marks and the British Council 34, and the table’s 34 to 35 covers both. Cut-offs vary slightly between test versions, so treat it as a guide.
Every score out of 40
Academic
Frequently asked questions
What is 27 out of 40 in IELTS Reading?
In Academic Reading, 27 correct is band 6.5. In General Training Reading it is band 5.5.
What is 35 out of 40 in General Training Reading?
Band 7.0. In General Training, 34 or 35 correct is 7.0 and 36 is 7.5. In Academic Reading, 35 correct is band 8.0.
How many correct answers is 7.5 in Reading?
33 or 34 in Academic Reading, and 36 in General Training.
What band is 33 to 40 in IELTS Reading?
In Academic Reading, 33 to 34 is 7.5, 35 to 36 is 8.0, 37 to 38 is 8.5 and 39 to 40 is 9.0. In General Training, 33 is 6.5, 34 to 35 is 7.0, 36 is 7.5, 37 to 38 is 8.0, 39 is 8.5 and 40 is 9.0.
Do I lose marks for wrong answers in Reading?
No. There is no negative marking, so answer every question.
Is the Academic Reading table official?
Partly. IELTS publishes the marks for bands 5, 6, 7 and 8. The rows in between are the widely used table from Cambridge’s official practice books. Cut-offs also shift slightly between test versions, so a score on a boundary can move by half a band.
Sources
- IELTS: IELTS scoring in detail
- British Council: IELTS scoring in detail (Taiwan)
- IDP IELTS: IELTS Reading band scores (Bangladesh)
- IDP IELTS: IELTS Reading band scores
- IELTS: IELTS and the CEFR
- British Council: Understanding and explaining IELTS scores
All accessed on 10 October 2026. GoPrep is not affiliated with IELTS.
Getting ready for IELTS?
More free IELTS tools
All free toolsIELTS band score calculator
Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.
Listening score calculator
Get your Listening band from your correct answers out of 40.
Speaking topic generator
Answer random Part 1, 2 and 3 questions on an exam timer.
IELTS score converter
Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.