Are practice test band scores accurate?
One of the most common questions I see: "I get 6.5 in the Cambridge books but 5 on a practice website. Which one is right?" The short answer: practice scores are estimates, and some are much better estimates than others.
Listening and Reading: trust the Cambridge books
The Cambridge IELTS books contain real past test papers, made by the people who make the exam. Their difficulty and their score conversion match the real test closely. Do a full test with real timing, count your correct answers, and use the conversion table in the book.
Many practice websites write their own tests. Some make them harder on purpose as a "workout", and their band conversions are not officially calibrated. A 5 on a hard practice set does not mean you'd get a 5 on test day.
So use the Cambridge tests to check your level, and other sites for extra practice only. Ignore their band numbers.
Writing and Speaking: only an examiner can give a real band
Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners using detailed criteria. Online and AI scores are guesses, and they can easily be off by half a band or a full band either way.
And even when a number is close, it doesn't tell you what to fix. "6" is the same message whether your problem is grammar, ideas, or organisation.
What to do instead
- Reading and Listening: review every wrong answer and ask why. Was it vocabulary, paraphrasing, spelling, or time?
- Writing: check that you answered every part of the question and fully developed each idea with an explanation and an example.
- Speaking: record yourself and listen back. Notice where you pause, repeat yourself, or give very short answers.
This is exactly why BandNotIncluded gives no band score at all. A guessed number can make you overconfident, or discourage you for no reason. Clear feedback on what to change helps you more.