{"id":34,"date":"2016-02-15T22:17:37","date_gmt":"2016-02-16T06:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/ielts\/?p=34"},"modified":"2018-11-10T14:12:46","modified_gmt":"2018-11-10T22:12:46","slug":"how-is-the-ielts-graded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/ielts\/how-is-the-ielts-graded\/","title":{"rendered":"How is the IELTS graded?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The IELTS Marking System:
\nHow is the IELTS graded?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Worried about failing the IELTS? Don\u2019t be! Every English user\u2019s skills are strong enough to be assessed using the IELTS marking system.<\/p>\n

As you may know, the IELTS isn\u2019t a pass\/fail exam, but an assessment that rates your overall language skills on a scale, producing a score somewhere between 0 (non-user) and 9 (expert user) in one-half increments. The marking system<\/a> is sophisticated and quite comprehensive. It considers a wide range of skills and strategies that we access when we use a language, making it fairly representative of your English level.<\/p>\n

Your assessment will be divided into four component tests<\/a>: listening, reading, writing, and speaking<\/a>. Scores are assigned for each section, and then averaged, yielding your final score.<\/p>\n

So, how is each section of the IELTS graded? Let\u2019s take a look at the factors that shape your score.
\n <\/p>\n

IELTS Listening<\/h2>\n

Your listening score corresponds to the raw score you receive on this 40-question portion of the test (for which you earn a single point for every correct answer). The conversion formula is kept secret, but here\u2019s<\/a> a chart that shows how some listening scores translate into band marks.
\n <\/p>\n

IELTS Reading<\/h2>\n

The reading score, just like the listening score, corresponds to the grade you receive on the reading test. The conversion formula is also kept secret, but there are sample charts of some common scores and how they translate to band scores. Note that the conversion is different for the Academic<\/a> and General Training<\/a> tests.
\n <\/p>\n

IELTS Writing<\/h2>\n

The writing test is assessed by measuring four key aspects in your performance on two separate writing tasks (with the second task more heavily weighted than the first). Each aspect is assigned a score, which represents 25% of the final score. Your writing will be graded for:<\/p>\n