Your Test Taker portal will help you prepare for your test, manage your bookings, get your results, and use your IELTS score to continue your journey with the English language.
This means you’re a “Modest User”
The test taker has a partial command of the language and copes with overall meaning in most situations, although they are likely to make many mistakes. They should be able to handle basic communication in their own field.
Here’s what you can do now:
If you didn’t get the score you needed, you might be able to improve it.
Test takers at Band 5 can typically listen to and process short stretches of speech to pick out discrete information, and can only somewhat follow detailed instructions. They can only understand directly-stated facts, attitudes, opinions and purposes in a limited way. They are also limited in their ability to pick out main ideas and infer implied meanings. In order to do this, they can keep short sections of what they have heard in their short-term memory. They can understand vocabulary relating to familiar and some less familiar topics.
Test takers at Band 5 typically deal reasonably well with straightforward factual and opinion-based texts. They are able to use their vocabulary knowledge to create meaning, but mostly within sentences rather than across sentences. They can understand directly stated information, opinions and arguments, and some implied meanings. They are generally able to extract key words from texts, and have a limited ability to synthesize concrete information and make inferences.
Test takers at this band are typically able to partly answer the question. There may be too much detail and no overview, or no data. Test takers can give their own point of view and some main ideas, although these may not lead to any conclusions. They can partly organise their writing, and can use some joining words, although these are wrongly used or over-used in places. The writing might repeat itself and the Task 2 might lack paragraphs. They have just enough vocabulary to answer the question, although spelling mistakes cause some difficulty for the reader. They are able to use some basic sentences correctly, and try some complex sentences, which often contain mistakes. Punctuation is sometimes faulty and the mistakes in grammar cause some difficulty for the reader.
Test takers at this band can typically speak at length, although they are sometimes less clear or fluent because of repetition, self-correction, or hesitation to search for words or grammar. Speaking is generally well-organised, and ideas are generally well linked, but with some errors. They have enough vocabulary to discuss topics clearly and at length, although there are often errors, and they can usually paraphrase well. They can use simple and complex grammar structures but with limited range. There may be frequent grammar errors, particularly in more complex structures, but language is usually easy to understand. Pronunciation can be clear and effective, but there may be problems. They are usually easy to understand, although words may be unclear at times.
This means you’re a “Competent User”
The test taker has an effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings. They can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations.
Here's what you can do now:
If you didn't get the score you needed, you might be able to improve it.
Test takers at Band 6 can typically follow extended speech and understand detailed instructions. They can generally understand directly-stated facts, attitudes, opinions and purposes. They can also generally pick out main ideas, and relevant and irrelevant information, and can also generally infer implied meanings. They can do this without having to process individual words and structures and can remember enough of what they have heard to understand references such as pronouns. They can understand most vocabulary relating to a range of topics, including some terms typical of academic English.
Test takers at Band 5 typically deal reasonably well with straightforward factual and opinion-based texts. They are able to use their vocabulary knowledge to create meaning, but mostly within sentences rather than across sentences. They can understand directly stated information, opinions and arguments, and some implied meanings. They are generally able to extract key words from texts, and have a limited ability to synthesize concrete information and make inferences.
Test takers at this band are typically able to partly answer the question. There may be too much detail and no overview, or no data. Test takers can give their own point of view and some main ideas, although these may not lead to any conclusions. They can partly organise their writing, and can use some joining words, although these are wrongly used or over-used in places. The writing might repeat itself and the Task 2 might lack paragraphs. They have just enough vocabulary to answer the question, although spelling mistakes cause some difficulty for the reader. They are able to use some basic sentences correctly, and try some complex sentences, which often contain mistakes. Punctuation is sometimes faulty and the mistakes in grammar cause some difficulty for the reader.
Test takers at this band can typically speak at length, although they are sometimes less clear or fluent because of repetition, self-correction, or hesitation to search for words or grammar. Speaking is generally well-organised, and ideas are generally well linked, but with some errors. They have enough vocabulary to discuss topics clearly and at length, although there are often errors, and they can usually paraphrase well. They can use simple and complex grammar structures but with limited range. There may be frequent grammar errors, particularly in more complex structures, but language is usually easy to understand. Pronunciation can be clear and effective, but there may be problems. They are usually easy to understand, although words may be unclear at times.