What is a Good IELTS Score?

If you are planning to study abroad, then you will be required to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination and prove your proficiency in the English language. Each university has its own IELTS score cutoff, and you need to meet the cutoff score to get admission to the university. An IELTS band score of 7.0 or more makes a candidate eligible for most of the top universities in the world. Knowing what is a good IELTS score is crucial. In this article, we will explain the IELTS band score criteria, focusing on each of the sections to understand better what is an acceptable IELTS score in different universities.

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This Story also Contains

1. What Are IELTS Band Scores And How To Calculate Them?
2. How much is a good IELTS score?
3. IELTS Band Score Chart
4. IELTS Reading Score
5. IELTS Writing Score
6. IELTS Listening Score
7. IELTS Speaking Score
8. IELTS score for top universities in 2025

What Are IELTS Band Scores And How To Calculate Them?

The IELTS exam is one of the most popular English language proficiency tests that students take to study in US, UK, Canada, Australia, and more. Candidates receive scores on a 1 to 9 scale for each of the four sections (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in the IELTS exam. With this, they also receive an overall band score. If you are able to get at least 7.0 IELTS score, then it is considered to be a good IELTS score. Similarly, if you secure band 8.0 or 9.0, then you will be defined as a “very good” user and an “expert” user, respectively.

How to calculate IELTS score? To calculate the overall IELTS band score, you need to sum the scores obtained in each of the four sections and divide it by four. In case you get the average score ending in 0.25, it will be rounded off up to the next half band; and if you get the average ending in 0.75, it gets rounded off up to the next whole band.

For example:

If you receive these IELTS scores:

• Listening: 6.5

• Reading: 6.5

• Writing: 5

• Speaking: 7

If you sum up scores of all the sections, the total will be 6.5+6.5+5+7=25

Dividing it by 4, 25/4=6.25

Rounding it off to the next half band, it will become 6.5

Now that you are aware of the IELTS score calculator, let us understand what is a good IELTS score.

How much is a good IELTS score?

Generally, if a candidate is able to secure a 7.0 or higher IELTS band score, then it is considered to be a good score for studying abroad. However, every country has its own IELTS cutoff. While some of the best universities in the US, such as Harvard or Stanford, require a 7.0 or higher score for admission, the top universities and colleges in UK require a 7.5 or even higher score.

An IELTS band score is one of the most important criteria for admission to foreign universities. So, the higher you score, the better are the chances to be a part of your favourite university!

Explore more:

IELTS Band Score Chart

Here is a complete breakdown of the band score and IELTS score level of each band score.

IELTS Reading Score

There are 40 questions in the reading section of the IELTS examination. For each correct answer, the candidate is awarded one mark. So, the candidate secures the score on the basis of the correct answers given. The total marks that can be obtained in the reading section are 40 marks. You will receive a band on the basis of the correct answers you give, as shown in the table below:

IELTS Writing Score

The examiner makes use of the assessment criteria to check and evaluate the writing performance of the test taker. Accordingly, he/she is awarded a band score of 1 to 9. The four criteria that are used are: task achievement for task 1, task response for task 2, coherance and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy.

Let us understand each of these IELTS writing marking criteria:

• Task achievement (IELTS writing task 1): It implies the key idea selection, precise data analysis, and how well the candidate is able to present the concepts in a logical and organised way. They must focus only on the important details and ignore the irrelevant information.

• Task Response (IELTS writing task 2): This deals with covering all the topics of the essay, depicting the well-organized response, articulating accurate meanings, and making use of the vocabulary. Candidates must answer the questions with their essays and be concise and well-organized.

• Coherance and cohesion: It means dividing the entire information into separate paragraphs, with each paragraph having a main idea. Candidates must appropriately connect the concepts and the paragraphs in a systematic manner.

• Lexical resource: Using vocabulary, including phrasal verbs and idioms, is known as a lexical resource. Moreover, the candidates should be able to do this in the correct context.

• Grammatical range and accuracy: The ability to make use of a wide range of grammatical structures accurately is known as grammatical range and accuracy. It involves using appropriate verb tenses, punctuation, and selecting the right words.

IELTS Listening Score

There are a total of 40 questions in the listening section of the IELTS exam, and candidates get 1 mark for each correct answer. So, in this section, the candidate can secure a maximum of 40 marks.

The IELTS score calculator for listening has been provided below in the table, where the number of correct answers corresponding to the band score is given:

IELTS Speaking Score

Examiners use the following four criteria to monitor and mark the speaking skills of candidates:

• Fluency and coherance: the ability to speak continuously without a pause or any hesitation is fluency. Coherence refers to the flow of words and ideas

• Lexical resource: use of vocabulary, paraphrasing, and uncommon words while speaking. Candidates must do it using the right context to score high.

• Grammatical range and accuracy: using a range of sentences and grammar tenses.

• Pronunciation: You must be able to convey what you want to say easily and there should be clarity.

IELTS score for top universities in 2025

Let us discuss the IELTS cutoff across the top universities in the world.