IELTSVegaIELTS Academic Reading · raw score
39 out of 40 in IELTS Academic Reading is Band 9.0
Any score from 39 to 40 out of 40 earns Band 9.0 in Academic Reading. That is the top of the scale. Academic Reading has its own table. General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band.
39/40
Band9.0
Filled: correct answers (98%). Ringed: the 39–40 range for Band 9.0. One fewer correct answer drops you below Band 9.0.
Scores around 39
| Correct / 40 | Academic Reading band |
|---|---|
| 36 | 8.0 |
| 37 | 8.5 |
| 38 | 8.5 |
| 39 | 9.0 |
| 40 | 9.0 |
39/40 in each section
| Section | Band |
|---|---|
| Academic Reading | 9.0 |
| Listening | 9.0 |
| General Training Reading | 8.5 |
Same raw score, different band: each section has its own conversion table.
Your overall band with 9.0 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 | 6.5 |
| 6.0 each | 7.0 |
| 6.5 each | 7.0 |
| 7.0 each | 7.5 |
| 7.5 each | 8.0 |
| 8.0 each | 8.5 |
Is Band 9.0 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
Superior English (8.0+), the 20-point level. 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 keep Band 9
- 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 39 out of 40 in IELTS Academic Reading?
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39 out of 40 in IELTS Academic Reading is Band 9.0. Any score from 39 to 40 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 39 out of 40 a good score in IELTS Academic Reading?
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Band 9.0 is a very strong score: Band 8 and above is in the top range of the scale. Requirements are almost always set per skill, so check the band your university or visa asks for in Academic Reading specifically, not just overall.
Is 39/40 the same band in Listening?
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No. 39 out of 40 is Band 9.0 in Listening and Band 8.5 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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