Is IELTS hard?

What IELTS's own figures show

IELTS publishes the average band for each skill, by country and by first language. The latest figures cover 2024-2025. They come from real test results, which makes them a better guide than anyone's opinion.

Across all Academic test takers, women and men both averaged about 6.2 overall. Writing was the lowest skill for both, a little under 6.

Here are the figures for India. Academic test takers averaged 6.6 overall, and Writing was 0.7 of a band below Reading. General Training shows the same pattern.

Which part of IELTS is hardest?

For most people, it's Writing. IELTS's figures list 40 countries for the Academic test. Writing was the lowest skill in 31 of them, and it was lower than Reading in 39.

No country averaged 7 in Writing. The highest was Germany, at 6.6. Even test takers whose first language is English averaged 6.5 in Writing, against 7.4 in Reading.

It isn't the same for everyone. For test takers from China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, Speaking was the lowest skill. For Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Kuwait and Oman, it was Listening.

Your first language matters too. The table shows the languages of India that IELTS lists. Writing is the lowest skill in six of the seven, but for Punjabi speakers, Listening sits lower.

Why Writing is harder than Reading

Reading and Listening each have 40 questions, and each answer is right or wrong. You need about 30 correct answers for band 7, and about 23 for band 6. When you're not sure, you can still choose an answer and sometimes get the mark.

Writing gives you two tasks in 60 minutes. You write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 for Task 2, and Task 2 counts for more. An examiner marks both on four things of equal weight: how well you answer the task, how clearly your ideas connect, your range of words, and your grammar.

In Writing, you can't guess your way to a mark. One weak area, like an essay that answers only half the question, pulls down your Writing band. And on the computer test you type your answers, so slow typing leaves less time to plan and check.

Speaking is also marked by an examiner on four things, including pronunciation. You talk face to face for 11 to 14 minutes, which can feel hard if you get nervous.

Is it hard to get a 7 in IELTS?

A 7 overall is about half a band above the average for Academic test takers from India, which was 6.6. Your overall band is the average of your four skills, rounded to the nearest half band. So 7.5, 7.5, 6.5 and 6.5 give you 7.0 overall.

A 7 in every skill is much harder, because of Writing. That's the level Home Affairs calls Proficient English, 7.0 in each skill. The average Writing band for India was 6.2, so you'd need to write about three quarters of a band better than the average.

It's still within reach for many people. IELTS also publishes how many test takers get each overall band, and about 41 per cent of Academic test takers from India got 7 or higher. The averages show you where most people struggle, so you know where to spend your time.

Is a 6.5 IELTS score hard to get?

A 6.5 overall is close to the average for Academic test takers from India, 6.6. In 2024-2025, about 62 per cent of them got 6.5 or higher, so it's a realistic goal if you practise steadily. For example, 7.0, 7.0, 6.0 and 6.0 give you 6.5 overall.

Some courses also set a lowest band for each skill. Check what yours asks for. If it does, Writing is the one to watch, because India's average Writing band was 6.2.

Is 5.5 in IELTS B1 or B2?

IELTS places 5.5 at B2, at the lower end. The CEFR is the common scale of language levels from A1 to C2, and IELTS publishes a chart that compares its bands with it.

IELTS also says the match isn't exact. The chart is for your overall band, not for each skill. Band 5 sits on the line between B1 and B2, and band 8 on the line between C1 and C2. Some people with 6.5 are at C1 and some are a little below, so IELTS suggests asking for 7 when C1 must be certain.

What to practise first

1. Take a full Listening test and a full Reading test to find your starting band. Count how many answers you get right out of 40.
2. Write one Task 2 essay a week, in 40 minutes, and have it marked on the four criteria. Fix one criterion at a time.
3. Practise Task 1 too. Give it a clear overview of the main trends in one or two sentences.
4. Practise typing your answers, so the computer test doesn't slow you down.
5. Record yourself answering Speaking questions, and listen back for long pauses and repeated words.

Find out where you stand

The best way to know if IELTS is hard for you is to sit a full practice test. Our Listening and Reading practice tests are free, and you see your band when you finish.

Each writing task also gives you one free marked answer, with a band for each of the four criteria. That tells you how far your Writing is from your Reading.