IELTSVegaIELTS Listening · raw score
12 out of 40 in IELTS Listening is Band 4.0
Any score from 10 to 12 out of 40 earns Band 4.0 in Listening. 1 more correct answer (13/40) would make it Band 4.5. Listening uses one conversion table for Academic and General Training.
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 | Listening band |
|---|---|
| 9 | 3.5 |
| 10 | 4.0 |
| 11 | 4.0 |
| 12 | 4.0 |
| 13 | 4.5 |
| 14 | 4.5 |
| 15 | 4.5 |
12/40 in each section
| Section | Band |
|---|---|
| Listening | 4.0 |
| Academic Reading | 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 Listening
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 Listening 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
Below CLB 6 for Listening. The Federal Skilled Worker Program needs CLB 7 in every skill; CLB 9 earns the most points. IELTS score for Canada PR
How to get the 1 more answer for Band 4.5
- Most lost Listening marks are mechanical: spelling, a missing plural -s, or going over the word limit. Check every completion answer against the instruction before you move on.
- Read ahead in the pauses. Knowing that question 14 wants a number tells you what to listen for.
- Do not chase a missed answer. Mark a guess and pick up the next question, or you lose two marks instead of one.
Listening score questions
What band is 12 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
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12 out of 40 in IELTS Listening is Band 4.0. Any score from 10 to 12 gets the same band. Listening uses one conversion table for Academic and General Training. 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 Listening?
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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 Listening specifically, not just overall.
How many correct answers do I need for Band 4.5 in IELTS Listening?
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13 out of 40. From 12 that is 1 more correct answer.
Is 12/40 the same band in Academic Reading?
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No. 12 out of 40 is Band 4.0 in Academic Reading and Band 3.5 in General Training Reading. Each section has its own conversion table.
Every Listening score
The full IELTS band score chartFind out your real Listening score.
Sit full timed Listening papers, marked out of 40 and converted to a band, with every answer explained.
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