All IELTS marking takes place at the test centre by trained markers and examiners. Markers are trained to understand the IELTS marking policy and are required to demonstrate that they are marking to standard before they are allowed to mark Listening and Reading papers.  Markers are re-tested every two years to ensure that their marking remains up to standard.  Systematic monitoring and double marking of a proportion of answer sheets is carried out at each administration.

Examiners for the Writing and Speaking modules are recruited and trained in line with agreed standards.  They are required to demonstrate that they are marking to standard every two years in addition to on-going monitoring of their performance.

Candidates receive scores on a Band Scale from 1 to 9. A score is reported for each skill module of the test. The four individual module scores are averaged and rounded to produce an Overall Band Score.  Overall Band Scores and Listening and Reading scores are presented as whole or half bands; Writing and Speaking band scores are reported in whole bands only.

Overall Band Score
Candidates receive a Test Report Form setting out their Overall Band Score and their scores on each of the four modules, Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.  Each of the module scores is equally weighted.  The Overall Band Score is calculated by taking the mean of the total of the four individual module scores.

Overall Band Scores are reported to the nearest whole or half band. For the avoidance of doubt, the following rounding convention applies; if the average across the four skills ends in .25, it is rounded up to the next half band, and if it ends in .75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.

Thus a candidate achieving 6.5 for Listening, 6.5 for Reading, 5.0 for Writing and 7.0 for Speaking would be awarded an Overall Band Score of 6.5  (25 ÷ 4 = 6.25 = Band 6.5).

Likewise a candidate achieving 4.0 for Listening, 3.5 for Reading, 4.0 for Writing and 4.0 for Speaking would be awarded an Overall Band Score of 4.0 (15.5 ÷ 4 = 3.875 = Band 4.0).

On the other hand, a candidate achieving 6.5 for Listening, 6.0 for Reading, 6.0 for Writing and 6.0 for Speaking would be awarded band 6 (24.5 ÷ 4 = 6.125 = Band 6).

For more information on how IELTS test material is produced click here .

Listening and reading
IELTS Listening and Reading papers contain 40 items and each correct item is awarded one mark; the maximum raw score a candidate can achieve on a paper is 40. Band scores ranging from Band 1 to Band 9 are awarded to candidates on the basis of their raw scores.

Although all IELTS test materials are pre-tested and trialled before being released as live tests, there are inevitably minor differences in the difficulty level across tests.  In order to equate different test versions, the band score boundaries are set so that all candidates' results relate to the same scale of achievement. This means, for example, that the Band 6 boundary may be set at a slightly different raw score across versions.  Click here for a detailed description of the IELTS Question Paper Production process.

The tables below indicate the mean raw scores achieved by candidates at various levels in each of the Listening, Academic Reading and General Training Reading modules during 2004 and they provide an indication of the number of marks required to achieve a particular band score.

The Academic and General Training papers are graded to the same scale.  The distinction between the two modules is one of genre or discourse type.  Academic papers may contain source texts featuring more difficult vocabulary or greater complexity of style.  It is usual that, to secure a given band score, a greater number of questions must be answered correctly on a General Training Reading paper.

Writing and speaking
When marking the Writing and Speaking modules examiners use detailed performance descriptors which describe written and spoken performance at each of the 9 IELTS bands.

Writing
Examiners award a band score for each of four criterion areas: Task Achievement (for Task 1), Task Response (for Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The four criteria are equally weighted.  

Speaking
Examiners award a band score for each of four criterion areas: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Pronunciation.  The four criteria are equally weighted.  

Versions of the band descriptors for Writing and Speaking have been developed to help stakeholders better understand the level of performance required to attain a particular band score in each of the criterion areas.  IELTS examiners undergo intensive face to face training and standardisation to ensure that they can apply the descriptors in a valid and reliable manner.  To view a version of the descriptors for Writing Task 1 click here, for Writing Task 2 click here and for Speaking click here.

Band scores are recorded on a Test Report Form, showing overall ability as well as performance in listening, reading, writing and speaking from 1 to 9. Check out more details about Band Scale.

Assessment of performance in IELTS depends on how the candidate's ability in English relates to the language demands of courses of study or training, not on reaching a fixed pass mark. The appropriate level required for a given course of study or training is ultimately something which institutions/ departments/ colleges must decide in the light of knowledge of their own courses and their experience of overseas students taking them.

The table below gives guidance on acceptable levels of performance for different courses. It should be noted, however, that many diverse variables can affect performance on courses, of which language ability is but one.