After persevering through the IELTS, the next part of the process is getting your IELTS results and understanding how you fared and how you were scored. Important to note is that unlike other standardised tests and assessments, the IELTS does not have a “passing” mark upon which you will base your target score. While the IELTS has score descriptors (see table below) for each of the 0 to 9 marks, your target, ultimately, is the minimum IELTS score set by the institution you are striving to get into.
Depending on particular institutional and program requirements, each individual institution has set its own target IELTS score for aspiring applicants. For instance, if you want to get into a postgraduate programme in University of Oxford, you will need an IELTS overall band score of at least 7.5 to be accepted, while the minimum is 7.0 for admission to the University’s undergraduate programmes. On the other hand, other universities require slightly lower IELTS overall band scores like University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, or King’s College London, whose IELTS minimum requirement is 7.0.
What, then, is the IELTS overall band score? This, essentially, is the average score of the scores obtained for all four skills tested (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking) in the exam. The overall band score is rounded off to the nearest 0.5 or whole band score, if the average is not a whole number or has a decimal that is not .5. Take a look at some of the sample scores below:
Sample 1
| Listening Band Score | Reading Band Score | Writing Band Score | Speaking Band Score | Average |
| 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
Sample 2
| Listening Band Score | Reading Band Score | Writing Band Score | Speaking Band Score | Average |
| 8 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
In these first two samples, since the average of the four component scores is either a whole number or has a precise .5 decimal, the scores need not be rounded off. The IELTS overall band scores, then, are the average themselves without calculating the nearest 0.5 or whole band score.
Sample 3
| Listening Band Score | Reading Band Score | Writing Band Score | Speaking Band Score | Average |
| 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 7.125 |
In this case, since the test taker’s average score is not a whole number or does not have a precise .5 decimal, it will then be rounded off to the nearest 0.5 or whole band score. The test taker’s IELTS overall band score, then, is 7.
Sample 4
| Listening Band Score | Reading Band Score | Writing Band Score | Speaking Band Score | Average |
| 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 6.625 |
As the average of all four component scores of this particular test taker is 6.625, there is a need to round it off to the nearest 0.5 or whole band score to obtain the IELTS overall band score, and that is 6.5.
As mentioned above, the IELTS has come up with overall band score descriptors, and these serve as a guide for test takers, as well as the organisations, educational institutions, and governmental and professional bodies globally that require the IELTS in their application processes.
Here are the IELTS overall band score descriptors from www.ielts.org:
9 – Expert user
- Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate, and fluent with complete understanding
8 – Very good user
- Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies
- Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations
- Handles complex detailed argumentation well
7 – Good user
- Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies, and misunderstandings in some situations
- Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning
6 – Competent user
- Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies, and misunderstandings
- Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations
5 – Modest user
- Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes
- Should be able to handle basic communication in own field
4 – Limited user
- Basic competence is limited to familiar situations
- Has frequent problems in understanding and expression
- Is not able to use complex language
3 – Extremely limited user
- Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations
- Frequent breakdowns in communication occur
2 – Intermittent user
- No real communication is possible except for the most basic information using isolated words or short formulae in familiar situations and to meet immediate needs
- Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English
1 – Non-user
- Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words
0 – Did not attempt the test
- No assessable information is provided
Let us help you obtain that IELTS overall band score target, or perhaps, an even better score! Send us a message to enquire about our review classes. Your Language School and Private English Class, Ltd. will be more than happy to be with you as you strive to conquer the IELTS.
