The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam is scored on a nine-band scale, with each band corresponding to a level of English proficiency.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of IELTS scoring:
- Band 1 (Non-User): This band indicates that you have very limited or no English language skills. You will find it extremely challenging to understand or communicate in English.
- Band 2 (Intermittent User): You have basic survival skills in English, but you can only communicate in familiar situations. Your communication is limited and often requires significant effort.
- Band 3 (Extremely Limited User): At this level, you can convey and understand only general meaning in familiar situations. Your communication is often limited to short, simple sentences.
- Band 4 (Limited User): You have a limited ability to communicate in English. You can handle very basic communication in familiar contexts but struggle with more complex language.
- Band 5 (Modest User): You have a partial command of English and can handle basic communication in most situations. However, your language use is limited, and you may struggle with complex or unfamiliar topics.
- Band 6 (Competent User): This is often considered a threshold for many academic institutions and employers. You can communicate effectively in most situations but may have occasional errors or inaccuracies. You have a good understanding of complex language.
- Band 7 (Good User): You have a good command of English. Your communication is generally accurate and fluent, with few errors. You can handle complex language well.
- Band 8 (Very Good User): You have a very good command of English, and your communication is fluent and accurate. You can handle complex and challenging language effectively.
- Band 9 (Expert User): This is the highest level of proficiency. You demonstrate a near-native level of English proficiency. Your communication is fluent, accurate, and well-developed. You can handle complex and nuanced language with ease.
Each of the four components of the IELTS exam—Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking—is scored individually on this nine-band scale. The scores from each component are then averaged to calculate your overall IELTS band score, which can be a whole or half band. For example, you might receive scores like 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, etc., and your overall band score will be an average of these scores.
In some cases, the overall band score is rounded up or down to the nearest half or whole band. For instance, if you score 6.25 overall, it will be rounded up to 6.5, but if you score 6.75, it will be rounded down to 6.5.
The IELTS scoring system is designed to provide a detailed assessment of a test taker’s English proficiency, making it useful for academic and professional purposes, such as university admissions, immigration, and employment.