IELTS Reading Score Calculator: Academic vs General Training

This is the one point most users need to understand first. If two students both answer 30 Reading questions correctly, they do not automatically get the same Reading band unless they took the same IELTS Reading version.

On this site's current conversion tables, 30 correct answers map to Band 7.0 in Academic Reading but Band 6.0 in General Training Reading. That is a major difference for anyone chasing a section target.

IELTS does not treat the two Reading papers as identical tests. The text types, question balance, and task expectations differ, so the raw-score thresholds are adjusted instead of being copied across both versions.

The practical lesson is simple: always use the right Reading table for your test type before you estimate your overall band.

A score of 30 correct answers is a strong example because it often surprises users. Academic Reading treats that as Band 7.0, while General Training treats it as Band 6.0.

A score of 35 correct answers also shows the gap clearly. Academic Reading maps that to Band 8.0 in the current table used on the calculator page, while General Training maps it to Band 7.0.

That is why users preparing for Canada PR, where General Training usually matters, should never estimate Reading targets from Academic charts found elsewhere online.

The averaging formula does not change. IELTS still averages Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, then rounds the result.

What changes is the Reading number that enters that formula. So the wrong Reading table can make your estimated overall result look much stronger or weaker than it really is.

• Confirm whether your test route needs Academic or General Training
• Use the correct Reading conversion table for that version
• Then calculate the overall band using all four skill scores
• If your route is migration-based, also check section minimums after that