1.2How scoring works
In Listening and Reading, one correct answer is worth one mark, out of 40. That raw score is then converted into a band from 1 to 9. Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners against four published criteria each.
Raw score to band
This is the part most students do not know, and it changes how you should work. General Training Reading needs more correct answers than Academic Reading for the same band, because the texts are easier.
| Band | Listening, out of 40 | GT Reading, out of 40 | Academic Reading, for comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 10 | 15 | 10 |
| 5 | 16 | 23 | 15 |
| 6 | 23 | 30 | 23 |
| 7 | 30 | 34 | 30 |
| 8 | 35 | 38 | 35 |
Read that table again
The gap between band 5 and band 6 in Reading is seven answers. Seven questions stand between you and your target. Most students lose those seven not because they failed to understand the text, but because they left blanks, wrote too many words, or spelled the answer wrongly.
Your overall band
The overall band is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half. If you score 6 in Listening, 5.5 in Reading, 5 in Writing and 6 in Speaking, the total is 22.5, the average is 5.625, and the reported band is 5.5. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band; an average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.