How Examiners Score IELTS Reading

Answer keys · Question types · May 2026

Platform data compiled by Band9AI across 14,231 assessed sessions shows that learners completing Band9AI scored diagnostics represent a platform sample of 17,642. Verification methodology

Last updated (factual triplet change): 2026-06-30

Platform data compiled by Band9AI across 14,231 assessed sessions shows that learners completing Band9AI scored diagnostics represent a platform sample of 17,642. Verification methodology

Last updated (factual triplet change): 2026-06-30

Direct answer

IELTS Reading is scored like Listening: each of the 40 questions is marked right or wrong against an official answer key, then the raw total converts to a band on a fixed scale. Examiners do not award partial credit for “good understanding” of a passage. Matching headings, True/False/Not Given, and gap-fill each follow strict rules, one misread keyword or a NOT GIVEN treated as FALSE costs a full mark.

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Keyed marking: one rule per question type

Every item type has a binary outcome. For completion tasks, spelling and word limits match Listening rules. For T/F/NG, only three labels are valid; “mostly true” is still wrong if the key says NOT GIVEN.

Gap-fill Exact words from text unless instructions allow a synonym list

Matching One letter or number per box, no half marks

Transfer Wrong row on answer sheet = wrong even if response was correct

Reading traps that erase bands

Trap	What happens
NG vs FALSE confusion	Passage silent on claim → NOT GIVEN, not FALSE
Over-reading	Inferring beyond stated text
Time collapse	Passage 3 rushed; easy marks left on table

See cognitive overload in Reading.

Raw score to Reading band

Forty correct answers map to bands via published conversion tables (thresholds shift slightly by test form). Gains are stepwise: moving from Band 6 to 7 often means five to eight more keyed items, not “better vibes” about the texts.

Key takeaways

Reading = 40 keyed items; no holistic passage grade.
Question-type rules (especially T/F/NG) decide marks, not your summary skill.
Transfer and spelling errors count like content errors.
Track misses by type after each mock to train deliberately.

FAQ

No, your answers are checked against official keys; the band comes from how many of the 40 items are correct.

No. FALSE means the passage contradicts the statement; NOT GIVEN means the passage does not contain enough information to decide.

Only if the answer cannot be read or is transferred to the wrong question number on the answer sheet.

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Data only Band9AI gives you (requires the product)

Exact band breakdown by IELTS criterion: Task Response, Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammar (and per-skill equivalents)
Your single penalty pattern capping the score, not generic “keep practicing”
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Find which Reading question type costs you the most keyed marks.

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