What is 23 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
Quick answer
IELTS.org's published average for Listening band 6 is 23 marks out of 40, so a score of 23 sits on that point and 24 or 25 lies above it, short of the 30 listed for band 7. The indicative table the site's band calculator uses reads 23 to 25 as band 6.0, an estimate.
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Part of The IELTS test, answered
A mark of 23 is a point IELTS.org prints, which makes it the lower anchor of this row; 24 and 25 are the two marks above it.
The published point and what lies above it
On its scoring page IELTS.org gives the average Listening marks for bands 5, 6, 7 and 8 as 16, 23, 30 and 35, out of 40 questions worth one mark each. A candidate on 23 therefore sits right on the band 6 average. One on 25 has gone 2 marks past it and still has 5 to go to the band 7 point.
The estimate that fills the row
The indicative table used by the site’s band score calculator turns 23, 24 and 25 into 6.0. It is an estimate, and IELTS.org’s own caution applies: “The precise number of marks needed to achieve these band scores will vary slightly from test version to test version.” A 23 sits on the edge of the row, so on another test version it can read lower. What level is IELTS 6.0 describes the band in general terms.
Weighing it in the overall
Listening is a quarter of the overall band, which IELTS.org defines as the average of the four section bands rounded to the nearest half band. With 6.0 in Listening, an overall of 6.0 needs the other three sections to average about 6.0 as well. To reach the 6.5 row you need 26 marks.
Practice
The practice route is a single timed paper under test conditions. The site’s Listening practice test is marked in the browser and reports an indicative band from the same table; that is all it claims. The conversion is shared by Academic and General Training, which how the IELTS Listening score is calculated sets out.
Reading a mock at the edge
If a mock gives you 23, remember it is the average point and not a floor. Mark the questions you guessed, because a few lucky guesses can hide a score that is really nearer 21 or 22, and those marks sit in the 5.5 row instead.
What this means for your score
After a timed paper a candidate has 24 of 40 correct. IELTS.org lists 23 marks for band 6, so 24 is one mark above that point and 6 below the 30 listed for band 7. The indicative row, 23 to 25, reads 6.0. A second candidate on 25 is in the same row and 5 marks short of the next official point.
Frequently asked questions
Is 23 out of 40 a good Listening score?
It is the band 6 point on IELTS.org's list and reads as 6.0 on the indicative table. Whether it is enough depends on the requirement you are aiming at, because each institution sets its own.
Which table is the official one?
Only the average marks on IELTS.org's scoring page are official: 16, 23, 30 and 35 for bands 5, 6, 7 and 8. IELTS.org adds that the precise number varies slightly from one test version to another. The mark-by-mark rows with half bands are an estimate.
How many marks for the next band?
The indicative table reads 26 marks as 6.5, so 1 more than 25 or 3 more than 23. IELTS.org's next published point is band 7 at 30 marks, 5 above the top of this row.
Is Listening the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes. One Listening test and one conversion serve both, as the site's Listening score answer explains. Reading is the section where the two versions convert differently.
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