Written byFizza Butool ZaidiIELTS teacher for 10+ years, PTE for 5Updated 30 October 2026
Mean band by skill, 2024-2025
From ielts.org's test taker performance data, means by gender, rounded to two decimals.
| Skill | Academic women | Academic men | General Training women | General Training men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 6.41 | 6.39 | 6.65 | 6.58 |
| Reading | 6.34 | 6.29 | 6.08 | 6.02 |
| Writing | 5.96 | 5.89 | 6.20 | 6.05 |
| Speaking | 6.04 | 5.94 | 6.46 | 6.31 |
Which skill is lowest, by nationality
BandLadder count across the 40 nationalities ielts.org lists. Academic: Writing lowest for 31, Listening for 5, Speaking for 4. General Training: Writing lowest for 19, Listening for 18, Speaking for 3.
Speaking was the lowest Academic skill for test takers from China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Listening was lowest in General Training for many South and South-East Asian nationalities, including Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
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Why General Training Reading looks low
ielts.org says Academic and General Training Reading are graded on the same scale, but a General Training test taker usually needs more correct answers for the same band: about 30 out of 40 for band 6 and 35 for band 7, against 23 and 30 in Academic (ielts.org).
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Frequently asked questions
Is IELTS Writing the hardest part?+
On average, yes, in Academic: it had the lowest mean band in 2024-2025 and was the lowest skill for 31 of 40 nationalities.
Which section has the highest average?+
Listening in both tests in 2024-2025, per ielts.org's means by gender.
Why do General Training scores look lower in Reading?+
ielts.org says General Training Reading usually needs more correct answers for the same band than Academic Reading.
Is Speaking hard for some nationalities?+
It was the lowest Academic skill for test takers from China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam in 2024-2025.
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