Comparing Cambridge and IELTS

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We talk about Cambridge English exams on English Too. From time to time people ask questions about the IELTS exam, so in this post we’ll talk about comparing IELTS scores to the different Cambridge exams.

What is IELTS?

IELTS or the International English Language Testing System is the most popular English test for higher education and for entry into some countries. As a result, it is recognised in many countries as a standard for university courses. It is also used by countries like Australia, the UK and Canada to check the standard of the English language of people who wish to live in those countries.

Similar to the Cambridge exams it also tests a number of skills. Unlike the Cambridge exams there is only a single test for each skill and the score for candidates is from 0-9 on that test depending on their performance. All of the tests can take place on the same day.

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Listening
  • Speaking

There are also two types of exams : General and Academic and the choice of exam depends on what candidates need.

General: This type of exam is most useful for candidates who want to live and work in an English-speaking country.  In this general IELTS exam materials come from books, magazines, newspapers and are the type of reading candidates can expect to see in everyday life. Writing in this exam includes a letter, which can be informal or formal, as well as an essay where candidates need to express personal opinions. 

Academic: This type of exam is most useful for candidates who wish to study in a university or for people who wish to be registered as a professional, for example as a doctor or nurse. So materials in this exam tend to be more complex and academic. Academic writing can include evaluation of a graph or a description of a process , and a formal academic style essay. 


The IELTS scale

This is how IELTS looks at the levels of candidates using the score from 0  to 9.

  • 9  Expert user
  • 8  Very good user
  • 7  Good user
  • 6  Competent user
  • 5  Modest user
  • 4  Limited user
  • 3  Extremely limited user
  • 2  Intermittent user
  • 1  Non user
  • 0  Did not attempt the test

Cambridge and IELTS comparison scores 

The simplest way to compare both exams is shown on this image.
Cambridge IELTS comparison image
 

We can also match this image with Cambridge exams and scores.

IELTS Band Score

8.0+

7.5

7.0

6.5

6.0

5.5

5.0

4.5

4.0

Cambridge Score

200+

191

185

176

169

162

154

147

142

Cambridge Exam

C2 Proficiency

C1 Advanced

C1 Advanced

B2 First

B2 First

B2 First

B1 PET

B1 PET

B1 PET

ietls-cambridge scores

The Cambridge score converter  will also tell you what different scores mean for different exams.  

Which type of exam is best for me?

That really depends on what you need or want. 

The Cambridge exams up to C1 are general English exams. For example, in the world of work in the country where you live, employers will probably accept any certificate that officially confirms a particular level of English. Even so, it is certainly common to find jobs requiring specific levels, typically levels of B2 or C1 in Cambridge exams.  

IELTS is most commonly used for academic study or for moving to an English-speaking country.  For many academic institutions IELTS scores are required, typically with scores from 6.0-7.5 depending on the course.

Even though Cambridge exam scores may be accepted for jobs or university study it can often be at a level of C1 and higher.