IELTS Reading Raw Score to Band: Academic vs General Training (2026)

Unlike Listening, the IELTS Reading conversion differs between Academic and General Training. The Academic Reading test is harder text-wise, so fewer correct answers are needed for the same band. The General Training test uses easier passages, so the bar is set higher.

Both tests have 40 questions, each worth one mark. Use the Reading score converter for instant lookups, or read on for the full tables and band-level analysis.

IELTS Academic Reading conversion table

Raw score (out of 40)	Band score
39-40	9.0
37-38	8.5
35-36	8.0
33-34	7.5
30-32	7.0
27-29	6.5
23-26	6.0
19-22	5.5
15-18	5.0
13-14	4.5
10-12	4.0
8-9	3.5
6-7	3.0

IELTS General Training Reading conversion table

Raw score (out of 40)	Band score
40	9.0
39	8.5
38	8.0
36-37	7.5
34-35	7.0
32-33	6.5
30-31	6.0
27-29	5.5
23-26	5.0
19-22	4.5
15-18	4.0
12-14	3.5
9-11	3.0

Key insight: General Training requires 5-6 more correct answers than Academic for the same band. This reflects the easier passage difficulty.

What each band means in Reading

Band 9 (Academic 39-40, GT 40)

Perfect or near-perfect across all three passages. Requires native-level reading speed.

Band 8 (Academic 35-38, GT 38-39)

Excellent comprehension, fast scanning, accurate handling of inference questions.

Band 7 (Academic 30-34, GT 34-37)

Strong comprehension with occasional errors. The most common target band.

Band 6 (Academic 23-29, GT 30-33)

Adequate comprehension. Struggles with True/False/Not Given and matching headings.

Band 5 (Academic 15-22, GT 23-31)

Limited comprehension. Misses paraphrased ideas and inference.

Time pressure: the real Band 7 blocker

Most candidates know enough vocabulary to score Band 7 — they run out of time. Both tests give you 60 minutes for 40 questions across three passages, which means roughly:

• 20 minutes per passage (including answer transfer)
• 90 seconds per question on average

If you spend 30 minutes on Passage 1, you cannot recover on Passages 2 and 3. Time discipline is non-negotiable.

For specific timing tactics, see IELTS Reading time management strategies and IELTS Reading question types strategy.

Question type difficulty (where you lose marks)

In rough order of difficulty for most candidates:

1. True / False / Not Given — confusing False with Not Given
2. Matching headings — picking similar-sounding options
3. Sentence completion — word limit violations
4. Multiple choice — distractors that are partially correct
5. Summary completion — same vocabulary problem
6. Short-answer questions — generally the easiest type

If your raw score is stuck at 25-28 (Academic), you are likely losing 6-8 marks to T/F/NG and matching headings combined. Drilling these two question types alone can move you from Band 6 to Band 7.

How to move from one band to the next

Band 6 → Band 7 (Academic: from 26 → 30 correct, GT: from 31 → 34 correct)

• Drill T/F/NG until you can spot the difference between False and Not Given automatically
• Practice matching headings with the elimination method (do the easiest matches first)
• Time-cap each passage at 17 minutes to leave buffer for transfer
• Read every word of the question stem — small qualifiers like "only" or "always" change the answer

Band 7 → Band 8 (Academic: from 30 → 35 correct, GT: from 34 → 38 correct)

• The remaining errors are usually in inference and tone questions
• Build vocabulary breadth — Academic Reading uses words from medicine, science, social science, history
• Practice with timed sets of 3 passages to build endurance

Why General Training has a higher bar

GT Reading uses simpler texts: notices, advertisements, workplace documents, general-interest articles. The vocabulary is more common, so the test compensates by requiring more correct answers for the same band.

If you sit GT, do not assume the test is "easier" overall — the higher conversion bar makes Band 7 require 34/40 correct, which is unforgiving.

Calculating your overall band

Example: Academic Reading 30 correct → Band 7.0. Combined with Listening 7.0, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.5:

• Average: (7.0 + 7.0 + 6.0 + 6.5) / 4 = 6.625
• Rounded: 6.5 ❌ (just below 7)

If Writing improves to 6.5: average = 6.75 → rounds up to 7.0 ✅

The half-band difference matters enormously. Use the band score calculator to see how each component affects your overall.

Frequently asked questions

Can I retake just Reading? Yes, via IELTS One Skill Retake for computer-delivered tests, within 60 days.

Is there negative marking? No. Wrong answers do not deduct points. Always answer every question, even if you guess.

Are the conversion tables official? The exact thresholds vary slightly by test version, but the bands above match published official samples. Real test conversions stay within ±1 mark of these thresholds.

For broader Band 7 strategy, see How to Get Band 7 in IELTS.