IELTSVegaIELTS Academic Reading · raw score
12 out of 40 in IELTS Academic Reading is Band 4.0
Any score from 10 to 12 out of 40 earns Band 4.0 in Academic Reading. 1 more correct answer (13/40) would make it Band 4.5. Academic Reading has its own table. General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band.
12/40
Band4.0
Filled: correct answers (30%). Ringed: the 10–12 range for Band 4.0. Dashed: 13, where Band 4.5 starts. You could lose 2 answers and keep Band 4.0.
Scores around 12
| Correct / 40 | Academic Reading band |
|---|---|
| 9 | 3.5 |
| 10 | 4.0 |
| 11 | 4.0 |
| 12 | 4.0 |
| 13 | 4.5 |
| 14 | 4.5 |
| 15 | 5.0 |
12/40 in each section
| Section | Band |
|---|---|
| Academic Reading | 4.0 |
| Listening | 4.0 |
| General Training Reading | 3.5 |
Same raw score, different band: each section has its own conversion table.
Your overall band with 4.0 in Academic Reading
The overall band is the average of all four skills, rounded to the nearest half band (.25 and .75 round up). If your other three skills each landed on the band on the left, your overall would be:
| Other three skills | Overall band |
|---|---|
| 5.5 each | 5.0 |
| 6.0 each | 5.5 |
| 6.5 each | 6.0 |
| 7.0 each | 6.5 |
| 7.5 each | 6.5 |
| 8.0 each | 7.0 |
Is Band 4.0 enough for a visa?
Visa rules set a minimum in each skill, so this Academic Reading band counts on its own, whatever your overall.
Australia skilled visas
Below Competent English (6.0), the skilled-visa minimum. IELTS score for Australia PR
Canada Express Entry
Canada's Express Entry accepts IELTS General Training only, so an Academic Reading score cannot be used. IELTS score for Canada PR
How to get the 1 more answer for Band 4.5
- Spend no more than 20 minutes on a passage. A hard question that takes four minutes costs you two easier ones later.
- Most lost Reading marks come from True/False/Not Given and matching headings. Drill those types in blocks, not only inside full tests.
- Completion answers are copied from the passage, so spelling counts. Copy carefully and respect the word limit.
Academic Reading score questions
What band is 12 out of 40 in IELTS Academic Reading?
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12 out of 40 in IELTS Academic Reading is Band 4.0. Any score from 10 to 12 gets the same band. Academic Reading has its own table. General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band. Conversion tables are equated for each test version, so the cut-off can move by a mark either way.
Is 12 out of 40 a good score in IELTS Academic Reading?
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Band 4.0 is below the 6.0 most universities and visas ask for as a minimum. Requirements are almost always set per skill, so check the band your university or visa asks for in Academic Reading specifically, not just overall.
How many correct answers do I need for Band 4.5 in IELTS Academic Reading?
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13 out of 40. From 12 that is 1 more correct answer.
Is 12/40 the same band in Listening?
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No. 12 out of 40 is Band 4.0 in Listening and Band 3.5 in General Training Reading. Each section has its own conversion table.
Every Academic Reading score
The full IELTS band score chartFind out your real Academic Reading score.
Sit full timed Academic Reading papers, marked out of 40 and converted to a band, with every answer explained.
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