IELTS Reading Band Score 2026 — Academic vs General Training
IELTS Reading uses two separate raw-to-band conversion tables — one for Academic, one for General Training. Academic band 7.0 sits at roughly 30 correct out of 40; General Training band 7.0 needs around 34 correct. Both 2026 tables, side by side, plus exactly why GT needs more marks for the same band.
The IELTS Reading raw-to-band tables (2026)
IELTS Reading is marked out of 40: one mark per correct answer, no negative marking, spelling counts. Unlike Listening — which uses one shared table — Reading uses different conversion thresholds for Academic and General Training. Both 2026 tables are below.
IELTS Academic Reading
Journal extracts and textbook passages.
| Band | Raw score (out of 40) |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39-40 |
| 8.5 | 37-38 |
| 8.0 | 35-36 |
| 7.5 | 33-34 |
| 7.0 | 30-32 |
| 6.5 | 27-29 |
| 6.0 | 23-26 |
| 5.5 | 19-22 |
| 5.0 | 15-18 |
| 4.5 | 13-14 |
| 4.0 | 10-12 |
IELTS General Training Reading
Notices, ads and workplace texts — easier passages → higher raw-score thresholds.
| Band | Raw score (out of 40) |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 37-38 |
| 7.5 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 34-35 |
| 6.5 | 32-33 |
| 6.0 | 30-31 |
| 5.5 | 27-29 |
| 5.0 | 23-26 |
| 4.5 | 19-22 |
| 4.0 | 15-18 |
Reading thresholds follow the indicative raw-to-band mapping published by the British Council and IDP IELTS for 2026. Exact boundaries can shift slightly between test versions. Use our free IELTS Reading Score Calculator to convert your own raw score instantly.
Why GT Reading needs more marks for the same band
The two modules test the same skill — reading comprehension — but from different sources. Academic Reading pulls passages from journals and textbooks; the vocabulary is dense, the syntax is more nested, and the inference work is harder. General Training Reading pulls from notices, advertisements and workplace material — the language is everyday and the texts are shorter to skim.
To keep the bands meaningful across modules, IELTS sets a higher raw-score threshold per band in GT. A GT candidate scoring 30 out of 40 (Academic band 7.0) lands at band 6.0 in GT, because the underlying passages were easier and 30 correct is a less impressive result against them.
Practical reading: if you took Academic Reading and got 30 right, you do not have a band 6.0 underneath the band 7.0 result — the GT thresholds simply do not apply to your paper. Stick with the table for the module you actually sat.
How many marks for each Reading band?
The most-asked Reading lookup queries — band 7, band 8, band 9 — answered side by side. Use the row that matches the module you sat; do not cross-reference Academic raw scores against the GT table.
| Band | Academic raw / 40 | GT raw / 40 | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39-40 | 40 | Functional command of English — rare requirement. |
| 8.0 | 35-36 | 37-38 | Strong. Required by some clinical and top MBA programmes. |
| 7.5 | 33-34 | 36 | Meets most postgraduate Reading minimums. |
| 7.0 | 30-32 | 34-35 | The most-asked-for Reading band — postgraduate floor. |
| 6.5 | 27-29 | 32-33 | Typical undergraduate minimum. |
| 6.0 | 23-26 | 30-31 | Common undergraduate floor; bare visa minimum. |
How to add 0.5 to 1.0 to your Reading band
Reading is the most trainable IELTS section because the question types are predictable and the marking is deterministic. The fastest band gains come from question-type targeting, not volume:
- Drill your worst question type in isolation. True / False / Not Given, Matching Headings and Matching Sentence Endings are the highest-loss types for most candidates. Practising 30 of one type in a row trains the specific decision rule — full papers average across types and hide the leak.
- Time-box paragraphs, not passages. Budget 90 seconds per Reading paragraph (≈ 18 minutes per passage) so you finish all three with 4 minutes spare. Most band-6.5 candidates lose marks on Passage 3 because they over-spend early.
- Scan for keywords, not understanding. The question gives you a target word or paraphrase; scan the passage for that target, then read the surrounding sentence only. Linear reading from line 1 every time is the most common pacing leak.
- Re-read your wrong answers, not the passages. After every practice paper, find the specific question type and decision rule you slipped on. The right move is to fix that decision rule, not to re-read the whole passage.
Practise free, both modules
Take an IELTS Reading practice test on this site — Academic and General Training papers are both available. Each submission is auto-graded; your results page shows your raw score, your band, and the question types you lost marks on.
Start a free Reading test →IELTS Reading band score — frequently asked questions
How many marks do you need for band 7 in IELTS Academic Reading?+
You need about 30 correct answers out of 40 for IELTS Academic Reading band 7.0. The exact range is 30 to 32 correct, with 32 sometimes converting to band 7.0 and sometimes to band 7.5 depending on the version of the test.
How many marks do you need for band 7 in IELTS General Training Reading?+
You need about 34 correct answers out of 40 for IELTS General Training Reading band 7.0. GT Reading consistently requires a higher raw score for the same band because the passages are less academic and easier to comprehend.
How many marks do you need for band 8 in IELTS Reading?+
Academic Reading band 8.0 requires about 35 correct answers out of 40; band 8.5 needs about 36 to 37 correct. For General Training, band 8.0 requires about 38 correct and band 9.0 needs 39 to 40.
Why does General Training Reading need more correct answers than Academic?+
General Training Reading passages are pulled from notices, advertisements and workplace material — they are less linguistically demanding than Academic Reading's journal and textbook extracts. To keep the band scale comparable, IELTS sets a higher raw-score threshold per band in GT Reading. The result: GT candidates need to be more accurate to reach the same band.
Is the IELTS Reading band score the same as the Listening band score?+
No. Reading uses two separate tables (one for Academic, one for General Training) while Listening uses one shared table for both modules. The 30 = band 7.0 rule from Listening does not translate to Reading; check the table on this page for the correct raw-score range.
How is the IELTS Reading band score calculated?+
Reading is marked out of 40 raw points: one mark per correct answer, no negative marking. Spelling counts. Your raw score is mapped to a band from 0 to 9 using the official IELTS Reading conversion table for the module you sat — Academic or General Training. The bands move in half-band steps.
Can I switch from Academic to General Training Reading if my band is low?+
You can sit a different module on a future test date, but most universities only accept Academic Reading for admission. Skilled-migration visas often accept either module, but the destination authority sets the rule. Check the destination's requirement before switching modules.