Results will be available 13 days after the test. Test centers are not permitted to give results out over the phone or by scan or email. A preview of your results is available online 13 days after the test and will remain online for 28 days. Please note that the online preview of your results should not be used as an official confirmation of your performance.
There is no pass or fail in IELTS. You are graded on your performance in the test, using scores from 1–9 for each part of the test: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Your results from the four parts then produce an overall score.
All parts of the test and the overall band score can be reported in whole and half bands, e.g. 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0. A half band score indicates a strong performance at a particular band level. For example, if you score an overall band score of 6.5, you have performed strongly within the Band 6 level.
The IELTS 9-band scale
Each band corresponds to a level of English competence.
| Band | Description |
| Band 9: Expert user | Has fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding. |
| Band 8: Very good user | Has fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well. |
| Band 7: Good user | Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. |
| Band 6: Competent user | Has operational command of the language, though with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. |
| Band 5: Modest user | Has generally effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriacies and misunderstandings. Can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. |
| Band 4: Limited user | Has partial command of the language, coping with overall meaning in most situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. Should be able to handle basic communication in own field. |
| Band 3: Extremely limited user | Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in understanding and expression. Is not able to use complex language. |
| Band 2: Intermittent user | Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. Frequent breakdowns in communication occur. |
| Band 1: Non-user | Essentially has no ability to use the language beyond possibly a few isolated words. |
| Band 0: Did not attempt the test | No assessable information provided. |