# IELTS Reading band score calculator

Academic or General Training Reading marks out of 40 to a band, from IELTS's published averages.

## Reading marks to band

Academic and General Training Reading use different scales: General Training texts are easier, so the same band needs more correct answers. IDP publishes the marks for bands 5-8 (Academic) and 4-7 (General Training); the half bands between them follow the conversion table used across IELTS preparation, which matches every published mark.

| Band | Academic Reading | General Training Reading |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 9.0 | 39-40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37-38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35-36 | 37-38 |
| 7.5 | 33-34 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 30-32 | 34-35 |
| 6.5 | 27-29 | 32-33 |
| 6.0 | 23-26 | 30-31 |
| 5.5 | 19-22 | 27-29 |
| 5.0 | 15-18 | 23-26 |
| 4.5 | 13-14 | 19-22 |
| 4.0 | 10-12 | 15-18 |

*Average marks out of 40 - IDP IELTS and the standard conversion table*

Each of the 40 questions is worth one mark. [Practice IELTS Reading](/ielts/reading) passages with the real 20 minutes per passage to see which question types cost you most.

## Reading score questions

### How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Reading?

About 30 out of 40 in Academic Reading and about 35 out of 40 in General Training Reading, according to IELTS.

### Why does General Training Reading need more marks for the same band?

The General Training texts are less demanding than the Academic ones, so IELTS sets a higher number of correct answers for each band.

### Is there extra time to transfer Reading answers?

No. The Reading test is 60 minutes in total, including writing or typing your answers.

**Sources**
- [IELTS: IELTS scoring in detail, checked 25 September 2026](https://ielts.org/take-a-test/your-results/ielts-scoring-in-detail)
- [IDP IELTS: Listening band scores, checked 25 September 2026](https://ielts.com.au/australia/results/ielts-band-scores/listening-band-score)
- [IDP IELTS: Reading band scores, checked 25 September 2026](https://ielts.com.au/australia/results/ielts-band-scores/reading-band-score)