In IELTS there is no pass or fail. Each of your individual test scores on listening, speaking, reading and writing is converted into a hierarchy: starting from 1 (the least language ability) and 9 (a masterly level of language expertise in all four skills). See the below chart:
The Final Report Form that you receive after 13 working days, will have two types of band scores mentioned: 1. Overall band score and 2. Sub-skill band scores-the average of all your four tests on listening speaking reading and writing. See the sample Final Report Form below:
The most important thing you should know is that depending on your purpose (study or work) and the organization you apply, the band score requirement will differ. You should be aware of the requirements of the particular company you are willing to work or the university that you are planning to proceed with your higher studies overseas.
Generally jobs or courses which require high level of linguistic competencies (quality communication in English) need a higher level of band scores like 7.0, 7.5 above. These fields include: education, medicine, law, admiration, journalism etc. On the other hand jobs or courses which require low level of linguistic competencies (average use of English in day to day communication) may require between 5.5 and 6.5. These fields include: industrial, engineering, automobile, catering etc.
It is always advisable that you start your IETLS practices with a proper planning and a specific aim. You should inquire beforehand about the demanding band overall score and sub score levels from the particular university or college or the company you are seeking to get in.
Now let us see how band sores are calculated for each sub-skill teats.
When it comes to marking sub-skill tests like listening and reading; General and Academic candidates have difference band sore scaling systems. For the above two tests, band sore is calculated according to the raw mark you get out of 40 in each. It checks your receptive skills. The 40 marks are scaled into the following rages. Look at the tables given below:
General Listening & Reading
General Listening & Reading
Marks Range
|
Band Score
|
40
|
9
|
39
|
8.5
|
38
|
8.0
|
36-37
|
7.5
|
34-35
|
7.0
|
32-33
|
6.5
|
30-31
|
6.0
|
26-29
|
5.5
|
23-25
|
5.0
|
19-22
|
4.5
|
15-18
|
4.0
|
12-14
|
3.5
|
8-11
|
3.0
|
5-7
|
2.5
|
2-4
|
2.0
|
1
|
1.0
|
absent
|
0.0
|
Academic Listening & Reading
Marks Range
|
Band Score
|
39-40
|
9
|
37-38
|
8.5
|
35-36
|
8.0
|
34-35
|
7.5
|
30-32
|
7.0
|
27-29
|
6.5
|
23-26
|
6.0
|
20-22
|
5.5
|
16-19
|
5.0
|
13-15
|
4.5
|
10-12
|
4.0
|
6-9
|
3.5
|
4-5
|
3.0
|
3
|
2.5
|
2
|
2.0
|
1
|
1.0
|
absent
|
0.0
|
The other two tests– speaking and writing which tests your productive skills are marked under the following criteria equally.
Speaking
Fluency and coherence 25%
(It refers to the way organize your speech and how you connect ideas together in a meaningful way using cohesive devices such as, and, but, because, neither…nor, either…or, not only… but also, on the other hand etc. The natural flow of your speech. Are you doing a lot of repetition? Your hesitation level unless it is natural, Are you correcting your grammar often? Are yiou using natural filler such as err.., umm…, well etc.)
Vocabulary 25%
(How much words you use in connection with the topic. The words should be thematically relevant to the topic and natural in idiomatic user. For example: regular/irregular working hours, sign in/out, routine, overtime, full time /part time, hectic, buried under , run after time etc.- when you describe your job)
Grammar 25%
(This checks the natural use of simple, compound and complex sentences in your speech. The switching from one tense to another is also counted.)
Pronunciation 25%
(Your effortless projection of voice, how you stress important words, the natural up and down of your voice and the way you pronounce basic words correctly in an accepted manner.)
Writing
Task achievement /task response 25%
(Task achievement for writing task 1 and task response for writing task 2. this includes the amount of sufficient analysis or supported ideas in your writing. In this case the minimum number of words is also counted)
Coherence and cohesion 25%
(The checks the overall structuring and linking ideas appropriately in a natural way to show the completeness of your write-up- this mainly includes the use of connective devices such as ; in addition, moreover, in contrast , to sum up etc.)
Lexical resources 25%
(Lexis means words. This criteria refers to the amount of appropriate words you use in the writing task. The words you choose should be relevant to the content naturally. You should use a wide range of sophisticated words in your writing in order to show your word power)
Grammatical range and accuracy 25%
The criteria emphasis the correctness and the range of sentence structures you use in the writing task. In other words it’s the control you have over your English. To what extend you can transform sentences from simple to complex or complex to compound and so on. How you switch from one tense to another will be counted)
So why should I get half (6.5) or full (7.0) and not (6.25) or (7.89)?
It’s because of the standard indicators designed by the IELTS governing body in order to show your level of English knowledge to the whole world.
It is a standard custom of IELTS governing body to present your performance in full or half scores. If you happen to get a scores like 6.25 or 7.89, those scores are rounded up to the next half or full number. In this case it is 6.5 or 8.0 respectively. The same principal is applied to both overall band score calculation as well as sub-test score calculation. Let me give you another example:
Imagine you get the following scores in each test:
Speaking 6.5
Listening 7.0
Reading .60
Writing 6.5
In order to get calculate your overall band score let us add all these numbers together:
6.5+6.5+6.0+6.5 and you are getting a total of 25.5. Now let us divide it by 4. You are getting a score of 6.375. Now in such a situation your score is rounded up to the next half level- which is 6.5.
The same method is handled in terms of rounding up to the full score.
Hope you guys are satisfied with the explanation given. If you want to add anything please include them in the comment section below. Please do not hesitate to discuss you IELTS related problems in the Discussion Room. Thank you!
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