What the band numbers mean
A band from 1 to 9 per skill, then an overall band — the average, rounded to the nearest half.
- 9
Expert — Full command. Fluent, accurate, precise.
- 8
Very good — Occasional slips only. Handles complex argument well.
- 7
Good — Operational command with occasional errors and misunderstandings.
- 6
Competent — Generally effective, some inaccuracies. Common university entry level.
- 5
Modest — Partial command. Copes with basic communication in your own field.
- 4
Limited — Frequent problems with understanding and expression.
Raw score to band
Out of 40. This is the conversion BandUp marks with, so a practice band and an exam band are read off the same scale.
| Band | Listening | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 39–40 | 39–40 |
| 8.5 | 37–38 | 37–38 |
| 8 | 35–36 | 35–36 |
| 7.5 | 32–34 | 33–34 |
| 7 | 30–31 | 30–32 |
| 6.5 | 26–29 | 27–29 |
| 6 | 23–25 | 23–26 |
| 5.5 | 18–22 | 19–22 |
| 5 | 16–17 | 15–18 |
| 4.5 | 13–15 | 13–14 |
| 4 | 10–12 | 10–12 |
Question types you will meet
Every one of these appears in BandUp’s papers, drawn the way the exam draws it.
- Multiple choice
- One answer from A-D, or TWO or THREE letters from a longer list.
- True / False / Not Given
- Does the passage say this, contradict it, or not mention it?
- Yes / No / Not Given
- The same three choices, but about the writer's own views.
- Matching headings
- A heading for each paragraph, from a list with more headings than paragraphs.
- Matching information
- Which paragraph contains a given fact.
- Matching features
- Match a statement to a person, a place or a year.
- Matching sentence endings
- Join the start of a sentence to the ending that fits.
- Sentence completion
- One gap in a sentence, filled with words from the text.
- Note, table and flow-chart completion
- The same gaps, set into a page of notes, a table, or a process.
- Diagram, plan and map labelling
- Choose the letter on the drawing that marks a place.
- Short answer
- Answer a question in your own words, within a word limit.
On the day
How the computer-delivered test actually runs.
- It is one sitting
- Listening, Reading and Writing run back to back with no break. Speaking may be the same day or up to a week away.
- Nothing is transferred
- On the computer test you type into the answer box as you go. There is no transfer time at the end — the ten minutes people talk about is the paper test.
- The recording plays once
- Listening plays straight through. There is reading time before each part and a pause partway through the first three.
- The clock does not stop
- Reading is 60 minutes for all three passages, and nobody tells you when to move on. Writing is 60 minutes for both tasks.
- Flag and come back
- Every question can be marked for review and reached again from the strip at the bottom. Use it instead of staring.
- Spelling counts
- A word heard correctly and spelled wrongly is marked wrong, in Listening and Reading alike. British and American spellings are both accepted.