How can I get 8.5 in IELTS Reading?
Quick answer
An 8.5 in IELTS Reading takes roughly 37 or 38 correct answers out of 40 in Academic. That figure is indicative: IELTS.org publishes only four conversion points, including 35 marks for band 8, and says the exact number varies slightly between test versions. Each correct answer earns one mark, and Reading is reported in whole or half bands.
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Reading is the one section where the question has an arithmetic answer. There are 40 questions, each correct answer earns one mark, and the total is converted to a band. So an 8.5 in Reading is a number of marks, and the work is finding which of the lost marks you can win back.
The marks, official and indicative
IELTS.org states that scores out of 40 are converted to the nine-band scale and reported in whole and half bands. For Academic Reading it lists these average points: 15 marks for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8. It adds that the precise number needed varies slightly from test version to test version.
IELTS.org lists nothing above 35. The step to 8.5 is therefore not official. The indicative band-by-band tables widely used in preparation place 8.5 at 37 or 38 marks and band 9 at 39 or 40; our band score calculator uses the same table and labels it as indicative. Treat 37 as the figure to aim for with a margin, not a threshold.
For General Training, the picture is different: IELTS.org lists 35 marks for band 7 and no point for band 8, because a greater number of questions usually has to be answered correctly on General Training to secure a given band. This page is about the Academic test.
Which question types lose the marks
IELTS.org lists eleven question types in Academic Reading, among them multiple choice, identifying information (True/False/Not given), identifying writer’s views (Yes/No/Not given), the matching types, the completion types, diagram label completion and short-answer questions. All are marked the same way, one mark for each correct answer, so no type is worth more than another.
What differs is where you lose marks. IELTS publishes no figures on which types candidates miss most, so the evidence is your own: mark a timed practice paper by question type and by passage, count the losses in each, and see whether they gather in one place. Near the top of the scale, two or three lost marks that share a cause are a better guide than any general advice.
What to check in a lost mark
Ask three things of each one. Did you read the instructions for that question type, including how many words or answers it asks for? Was it a choice between “False” and “Not given”, which IELTS.org singles out as the difference to understand? Did the time run short on the last of the three sections, given 60 minutes for the paper?
Where to go next
The general routine is in how to improve your IELTS Reading score. The guide IELTS Reading band 6 to 7 covers the earlier step, and how the Reading score is calculated gives the official points for both test versions. For one question type that loses many candidates marks, see how to answer True/False/Not given.
What this means for your score
A practice paper scores 36 of 40. That is above the 35 marks IELTS.org lists for band 8, and just short of the 37 or 38 that indicative tables place at 8.5. The two lost marks are worth a look: if both are True/False/Not given items, that one question type is where the extra half band is.
Frequently asked questions
How many marks is 8.5 in IELTS Reading?
IELTS.org does not publish it. It lists 35 marks out of 40 for band 8 in Academic Reading and nothing higher. The band-by-band tables used in preparation, including our calculator's, place 8.5 at 37 or 38. They are estimates, and the exact number varies slightly from one test version to another.
Is 8.5 harder in General Training Reading?
IELTS.org states that more questions usually have to be answered correctly on General Training than on Academic to secure a given band. It lists 35 marks for band 7 in General Training and no point for band 8. Use the General Training points when you judge General Training practice, not the Academic ones.
Are some question types worth more marks?
No. Each correct answer is awarded one mark, whatever the question type. The difference is in how many marks you lose to each type. IELTS.org lists eleven question types in Academic Reading, so a timed paper marked by type shows which one loses you most.
Does a wrong answer lose marks?
IELTS.org states that each correct answer receives one mark and does not describe any penalty for a wrong one. A blank and a wrong answer score the same, which means every question is worth attempting. Read the instructions for each question type, which state how many words or answers it asks for.
Sources
- IELTS scoring in detail: band scores explained — IELTS.org
- IELTS Academic: Reading test format — IELTS.org
Last verified 18 Oct 2026
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