How IELTS Reading & Listening is being Scored

The listening and reading modules both contains 40 items and each correct item is given 1 mark; with a maximum possible raw score of 40. The raw score is translated to a band score, ranging from 1 to 9.  The reading and listening modules are the objective parts of the exam, you really can’t contend with the results.

The questions for all IELTS test are pretested and standardized; there will inevitably be minor differences in the level of difficulties across tests.  The band scores are set so that all the candidates’ results relate to the same scale.

The academic and general training reading modules have the same grade scale, but the conversion is different.  The academic exam is more difficult in terms of vocabulary and style used in the exam.  It is then logical that, to attain a given band score, more questions must be answered correctly on the General training exam.
 

Listening
9	40
8.5	38-39
8	36-37
7.5	34-35
7	32-33
6.5	29-31
6	25-28
5.5	21-24
5	17-20
4.5	13-16
4	10 -12

Academic Reading
9	40
8.5	38-39
8	35-37
7.5	33-34
7	30-32
6.5	27-29
6	23-26
5.5	19-22
5	16-18
4.5	13-15
4	10-12

GT Reading
9	40
8.5	38-39
8	36-37
7.5	34-35
7	32-33
6.5	29-31
6	25-28
5.5	21-24
5	17-20
4.5	13-16
4	10 -12

For other tips, check out the
Reading Category
Listening Category