What 7, 7.5 and 8 look like in each module
Bands go from 0 to 9 in half bands. Your overall score is the average of the four modules, rounded to the nearest half band.
Listening and Reading are scored from correct answers out of 40.
- Band 7: roughly 30 correct in Listening and in Academic Reading. General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band.
- Bands 7.5 and 8: you can afford only a handful of mistakes, so spelling slips and one lost map question start to matter a lot.
Writing and Speaking are marked on four criteria. In plain terms:
- Band 7: you answer the question fully, organise ideas logically, use some less common vocabulary with only occasional errors, and write or speak with a range of structures that are mostly error-free.
- Band 8: ideas are well developed, linking feels natural rather than mechanical, vocabulary is precise, and errors are rare. In Speaking, you rarely hesitate to search for words.
Typical requirements for destinations popular from Kathmandu
Score requirements vary by institution, course and year, so always check the exact figure with the university, employer, regulator or immigration authority. As a broad guide:
- United Kingdom: many universities often ask for 6.0–7.0 overall, with minimums in each module. Competitive courses ask more.
- Australia: many universities typically ask for 6.5 overall, often with no module below 6.0; some courses ask for 7.0.
- Canada: many universities often ask for 6.5 overall; colleges may accept slightly lower.
- United States: many universities that accept IELTS typically ask for around 6.5–7.0.
- Japan: English-taught degree programmes at some universities accept IELTS, with requirements that vary widely.
- Nursing and health registration: regulators in several countries often ask for 7.0 in each module, or a similar high profile. Nurses from Kathmandu should confirm the current rule directly with the regulator.
Notice the phrase "in each module". A strong 7.5 overall with Writing at 6.0 can still fail a requirement.
Where Kathmandu students usually lose the half band
From the patterns we see, it is rarely the overall level. It is usually one module:
- Writing stuck at 6.0–6.5, often because of memorised phrases, under-developed Task 2 ideas or article errors.
- Reading time pressure on Passage 3 in Academic.
- Listening spelling and numbers, costing two or three marks a test.
- Speaking pronunciation and fluency, especially stopping to self-correct.
Find your weakest module first. The Band Score Calculator shows how much one module affects your overall band.
A realistic plan from 6 to 7+
Moving a full band usually takes two to three months of focused work. Moving half a band can take a few weeks if the problem is narrow.
- Week 1: take a full mock test and list your scores by module and, for Writing and Speaking, by criterion.
- Weeks 2–5: spend about 60% of your time on your weakest module. Write two Task 2 essays a week if Writing is the problem; do daily timed passages if it is Reading.
- Weeks 2–8: keep the strong modules ticking over with three short sessions a week.
- Weeks 4 and 6: full mocks to check progress.
- Weeks 6–8: switch Listening and Reading practice to Charged sets. Book a 1-to-1 teacher session (about 20 minutes, from $5) for Writing or Speaking.
- Final fortnight: two or three full mocks under exam conditions, then light review.
Charged sets: practice that stretches a 7
Ordinary practice sets can feel easy once you reach 30 out of 40. Charged sets are harder Listening and Reading sets designed for students aiming at 7+. Expect faster speech, denser passages, closer distractors and tighter word limits.
Use them as training, not as a score predictor. If you get 27 on a Charged set, that is often a sign you are ready for 7 on a standard test.
Fitting band-7 work into a Kathmandu week
Band 7 needs consistency more than long sessions. A student at a Kathmandu University college might do a Reading passage before classes and a Writing task on a Saturday. A nurse on rotating shifts at a hospital in the valley might keep Listening sets for quiet days and use flashcards on the bus home. Choose a schedule you can keep through exams, festivals and family events.
If you are taking Academic, you can also share your study plans, and with your agreement our overseas education advisers can suggest courses that match your score.
Register free to take the sample mock and see how far you are from IELTS band 7. Full Access is $12 for 2 months, paid once.