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Test taker performance 2021

Band score information      

IELTS is assessed on a 9-band scale and reports scores both overall and by individual skill. Overall band scores for Academic and General Training test takers in 2021 are shown here, together with scores for individual skills according to a variety of classifications. These figures are broadly in line with statistics for previous years.

Note: For nationality and first language, the tables show the top 40 nationalities and languages, listed alphabetically, not in order of the size of the candidature.

Academic and General Training test takers
Test split

Test Percentage
Academic 75.44
General Training 24.56

Gender split

Gender Percentage
Female 51.55
Male 48.45
 

The figures below show the mean overall and individual band scores achieved by 2021 Academic and General Training test takers according to their gender.
  

Academic mean performance by gender

Gender Listening Reading Writing  Speaking Overall
Female 6.50 6.29 5.96 6.18 6.30
Male 6.50 6.22 5.88 6.10 6.24
 

General Training mean performance by gender

Gender Listening Reading Writing  Speaking Overall
Female 6.86 6.37 6.29 6.71 6.62
Male 6.78 6.30 6.14 6.59 6.51
 

Nationality
These figures show the mean overall and individual band scores achieved by 2021 Academic and General Training test takers from the top 40 nationalities.
  

Academic mean performance by nationality

Nationality Listening Reading Writing Speaking  Overall
Bangladesh

6.40

5.94

5.85

6.25

6.18
Brazil
 7.09
 7.21
 6.13
 6.90
 6.90
Canada
 7.27
 6.85
 6.29
 7.21
 6.96
China (People's Republic of)
 6.04
 6.27
 5.76
 5.55
 5.97
Colombia 6.70
 6.88
 5.98
 6.59
 6.60
Egypt 6.95
 6.50
 6.00
 6.65
 6.59
France 6.99
 7.06
 6.13
 6.61
 6.76
Ghana 7.08
 6.39
 6.39
 7.13
 6.81
Greece 7.65
 7.46
 6.42
 6.91
 7.17
Hong Kong 7.05
 6.90
 6.17
 6.35
 6.68
India 6.62
 6.08
 6.00
 6.25
 6.30
Indonesia 7.03
 6.96
 6.10
 6.44
 6.70
Iran, Islamic Republic of
 6.71
 6.41
 6.05
 6.64
 6.52
Italy 7.14
 7.44
 6.16
 6.62
 6.90
Japan

5.98

 6.12
 5.70
 5.53
 5.90
Jordan 6.64
 6.21
 5.83
 6.60
 6.39
Kazakhstan
 6.42
 6.34
 5.81
 6.06
 6.22
Kenya
 7.00
 6.50
 6.36
 7.08
 6.79
Korea, Republic of
 6.46
 6.40
 5.86
 5.87
 6.21
Kuwait
 5.57
 5.16
 5.13
 5.82
 5.48
Lebanon
 7.27
 6.80
 6.25
 6.89
 6.86
Malaysia 7.56
 7.31
 6.42
 6.85
 7.10
Mexico 6.88
 6.88
 6.02
 6.57
 6.65
Nepal 6.74
 6.15
 5.92
 6.02
 6.27
Nigeria 6.96
 6.44
 6.32
 7.08
 6.76
Oman 5.08
 4.84
 5.25
 5.51
 5.24
Pakistan 6.53
 6.08
 5.91
 6.30
 6.27
Philippines
 7.27
 6.75
 6.26
 6.87
 6.85
Qatar 5.65
 5.02
 5.12
 5.84
 5.47
Russian Federation
 7.05
 7.09
 6.16 6.70 6.81
Saudi Arabia
 5.84
 5.49
 5.34
 6.09
 5.75
Spain 7.42
 7.44
 6.26
 6.82
 7.05
Sri Lanka 6.86
 6.35
 6.01
 6.63
 6.53
Taiwan 6.57
 6.53
 5.87
 6.12
 6.34
Thailand 6.29
 6.11
 5.66
 5.78
 6.03
Turkey 6.86
 6.72
 6.00
 6.37
 6.55
Ukraine 6.88
 6.80
 6.02
 6.58
 6.64
United Arab Emirates
 5.27
 4.89
 4.99
 5.61
 5.25
Uzbekistan 5.92
 5.67
 5.62
 5.61
 5.77
Vietnam 6.48
 6.52
 6.02
 5.83
 6.28

General Training mean performance by nationality

Nationality Listening Reading Writing Speaking  Overall
Algeria

5.87

5.70

5.79

6.34

5.98
Argentina 7.01 6.97 6.31
 6.68
 6.81
Bangladesh

6.41

 5.82 6.01
 6.39
 6.22
Brazil
 6.98 6.96
 6.30
 6.88
 6.84
Cameroon 5.66
 5.29
 6.00
 6.15
 5.84
Canada
 6.78

6.19

 6.10
 6.60
 6.48
China (People's Republic of)
 6.56 6.45
 6.05
 6.13
 6.36
Colombia

6.50

6.42

6.08

6.53

6.44
Egypt 6.84
 6.51
 6.20
 6.72
 6.63
France 7.25
 7.16
 6.40
 6.97
 7.01
Ghana 6.75
 6.16
 6.53
 7.26
 6.73
Hong Kong 6.82
 6.66
 6.18
 6.39
 6.58
India 6.92
 6.33
 6.21
 6.62
 6.58
Indonesia 6.71
 6.35
 6.11
 6.38
 6.45
Iran, Islamic Republic of
 6.37
 6.02
 6.04
 6.44
 6.28
Italy

6.56

6.44

6.01

6.41

6.42
Jamaica 7.00
 6.58
 6.66
 8.01
 7.12
Japan 6.08
 5.80
 5.77
 5.82
 5.93
Jordan 6.54
 6.17
 6.02
 6.65
 6.41
Kenya
 6.85
 6.41
 6.50
 7.29
 6.82
Korea, Republic of
 6.13
 5.84
 5.76
 5.75
 5.93
Lebanon
 7.18
 6.81
 6.42
 6.88
 6.89
Malaysia 7.34
 6.96
 6.52
 6.98
 7.00
Mexico 6.72
 6.63
 6.18
 6.66
 6.61
Morocco 6.32
 6.18
 6.00
 6.46
 6.30
Nepal

6.53

5.88

6.04

6.25

6.24
Nigeria 7.02 6.52
 6.63
 7.27
 6.92
Pakistan 6.90  6.36 6.30
 6.78
 6.65
Philippines
 6.35
 5.74
 6.03
 6.34
 6.18
Russian Federation
 6.86
 6.82
 6.24
 6.60
 6.69
Saudi Arabia
 4.96

4.22

 4.71
 5.33
 4.86
South Africa 7.65
 7.24
 6.79
 8.25
 7.55
Sri Lanka 6.90
 6.41
 6.22
 6.79
 6.64
Taiwan 6.31
 6.08
 5.94
 6.17
 6.18
Thailand 5.89
 5.39
 5.65
 5.70
 5.72
Turkey 6.79
 6.60
 6.16
 6.52
 6.58
Ukraine 6.28
 6.07
 5.87
 6.25
 6.18
United States of America
 8.13
 7.83
 7.16
 8.50
 7.96
Vietnam 6.34
 6.25
 6.10
 6.01
 6.24
Zimbabwe
 6.82
 6.37
 6.59
 7.33
 6.84

First language*

These figures show the mean overall and individual band scores achieved by 2021 Academic and General Training test takers from the top 40 first language backgrounds.

*First language as self-chosen by test takers drawn from a wide range of nationalities

Academic mean performance by first language

Language Listening Reading Writing Speaking  Overall
Akan

6.98

6.30

6.35

7.05

6.73
Arabic

5.92

 5.54
 5.43
 6.08
 5.81
Azeri
 6.71
 6.50
 5.95
 6.73
 6.54
Bengali
 6.49
 6.03
 5.90
 6.31
 6.24
Chinese
 6.13
 6.32
 5.80
 5.62
 6.03
English
 7.26
 6.72
 6.34
 7.10
 6.92
Farsi
 6.72
 6.43
 6.06
 6.65
 6.53
Filipino
 7.31
 6.80
 6.28
 6.89
 6.88
French
 6.94
 6.97
 6.12
 6.64
 6.73
German
 8.00
 7.74
 6.56
 7.47
 7.51
Greek 7.60
 7.37
 6.39
 6.90
 7.13
Gujurati
 6.56
 5.99
 5.85
 6.07
 6.18
Hindi 6.95
 6.38
 6.13
 6.56
 6.57
Ibo/lgbo
 6.83
 6.30
 6.30
 7.04
 6.68
Indonesian
 7.02
 6.95
 6.09
 6.42
 6.68
Italian 7.14
 7.46
 6.16
 6.61
 6.91
Japanese
 5.98
 6.11
 5.70
 5.52
 5.89
Kannada
 7.20
 6.64
 6.26
 6.87
 6.81
Kazakh
 6.31
 6.23
 5.76
 5.97
 6.13
Korean

6.46

6.40

5.86

5.87

6.21
Malayalam
 6.82
 6.38
 6.15
 6.47
 6.52
Marathi
 7.23
 6.67
 6.22
 6.76
 6.78
Nepali
 6.74
 6.15
 5.92
 6.03
 6.27
Portuguese
 7.21
 7.25
 6.18
 6.96
 6.96
Punjabi
 6.24
 5.72
 5.89
 5.92
 6.01
Romanian
 7.35
 7.17
 6.23
 7.03
 7.01
Russian
 6.90
 6.85
 6.05
 6.55
 6.65
Singhalese
 6.89
 6.38
 6.04
 6.63
 6.55
Spanish 6.97
 7.05
 6.09
 6.68
 6.76
Swahili
 6.89
 6.39
 6.31
 6.99
 6.71
Tagalog
 7.12
 6.56
 6.16
 6.79
 6.72
Tamil
 7.01
 6.49
 6.08
 6.60
 6.61
Telugu
 6.69
 6.13
 5.93
 6.32
 6.33
Thai
 6.28
 6.10
 5.66
 5.77
 6.02
Turkish
 6.87
 6.73
 6.01
 6.37
 6.56
Urdu 6.62
 6.14
 5.94
 6.38
 6.33
Uzbek
 5.88
 5.62
 5.61
 5.57
 5.73
Vietnamese
 6.48
 6.53
 6.02
 5.83
 6.28
Yoruba
 6.87
 6.44
 6.31
 7.00
 6.72
Other 6.90
 6.48
 6.23
 6.94
 6.70

   
General Training mean performance by first language

Language Listening Reading Writing Speaking Overall
Afrikaans

7.25

6.82

6.50

7.92

7.19
Akan 6.54
 5.90
 6.44
 7.15
 6.56
Albanian 5.90
 5.57
 5.74
 6.29
 5.95
Arabic 6.33
 5.91
 5.86
 6.42
 6.19
Bengali
 6.58
 6.04
 6.13
 6.54
 6.39
Chinese
 6.59
 6.47
 6.07
 6.17
 6.39
English
 7.28
 6.77
 6.60
 7.31
 7.05
Farsi
 6.38
 6.02
 6.04
 6.45
 6.28
Filipino
 6.48
 5.89
 6.10
 6.40
 6.28
French
 6.30
 6.15
 6.11
 6.46
 6.32
German
 7.44
 7.17
 6.50
 7.37
 7.18
Gujurati
 6.89
 6.28
 6.08
 6.44
 6.48
Hindi 7.18
 6.64
 6.37
 6.90
 6.84
Ibo/lgbo
 6.79
 6.28
 6.55
 7.19
 6.76
Indonesian
 6.69
 6.33
 6.09
 6.36
 6.43
Italian 6.62
 6.56
 6.04
 6.43
 6.48
Japanese
 6.06
 5.78
 5.75
 5.80
 5.91
Kannada
 7.17
 6.67
 6.42
 7.02
 6.88
Korean
 6.13
 5.83
 5.76
 5.74
 5.93
Malayalam

6.91

6.44

6.28

6.61

6.62
Marathi
 7.31
 6.84
 6.48
 7.00
 6.97
Nepali
 6.54
 5.90
 6.05
 6.27
 6.25
Portuguese 6.98
 6.94
 6.30
 6.89
 6.84
Punjabi 6.58
 5.90
 6.00
 6.26
 6.25
Russian
 6.76
 6.67
 6.16
 6.56
 6.60
Shona 6.73
 6.29
 6.56
 7.24
 6.76
Sindhi 7.06
 6.51
 6.38
 6.88
 6.77
Singhalese
 6.84
 6.34
 6.18
 6.71
 6.58
Spanish

6.72

 6.66
 6.19
 6.65
 6.62
Swahili
 6.66
 6.21
 6.41
 7.20
 6.68
Tagalog
 6.16
 5.50
 5.92
 6.23
 6.01
Tamil
 6.96
 6.48
 6.25
 6.74
 6.67
Telugu
 6.94
 6.38
 6.19
 6.68
 6.61
Thai
 5.89
 5.38
 5.65
 5.69
 5.72
Turkish
 6.78
 6.59
 6.15
 6.52
 6.58
Ukrainian 6.20
 5.95
 5.82
 6.18
 6.10
Urdu 6.93
 6.39
 6.31
 6.81
 6.67
Vietnamese 6.34
 6.26
 6.10
 6.01
 6.24
Yoruba
 6.77
 6.36
 6.52
 7.10
 6.75
Other 6.71
 6.25
 6.42
 7.06
 6.67