The average IELTS score for Vietnamese test-takers dropped to 6.2 in the 2023-2024 period, falling in the global rankings compared to previous years. Only 1% of Vietnamese candidates achieved scores of 8.5 or higher.

The co-organizers of the IELTS exam recently released global data for the 2023-2024 period. For the Academic IELTS exam, Vietnam's average score was 6.2, ranking 29th out of 39 countries and territories surveyed. This marks a six-place drop compared to the last ranking in 2022.

In 2023-2024, the scores for Vietnamese candidates in the individual IELTS skills were as follows: Listening (6.3), Reading (6.4), Writing (6.0), and Speaking (5.7). Compared to the global average, Vietnamese candidates scored lower in Listening and Speaking (the global averages were 6.6 and 6.3, respectively), while their scores in Reading and Writing were on par with global averages.

The most common IELTS score among Vietnamese candidates was 6.0, accounting for 21% of test-takers. Following closely were scores of 5.5 and 6.5, each representing 18% of candidates. Only 5% of test-takers achieved a score of 8.0 or higher.

Among the 39 countries and territories surveyed, Malaysia and Spain led with the highest average IELTS scores of 7.1, followed by Italy with an average score of 7.0. These three countries also had the highest percentages of test-takers scoring 8.0 or higher, with 25% of candidates in Malaysia, 23% in Spain, and 19% in Italy reaching this level.

In Southeast Asia, in addition to Malaysia’s leading score of 7.1, several countries outperformed Vietnam, including the Philippines (6.8), Indonesia (6.7), and Myanmar (6.6). Vietnam’s average score of 6.2 was higher than those of China and Japan, which both averaged 5.9.

IELTS is a widely recognized English proficiency test, accepted by over 12,500 organizations worldwide, including prestigious educational institutions, employers, and immigration authorities. Annually, more than 4 million IELTS tests are administered globally.

In Vietnam, over 100 universities and educational institutions accept IELTS certificates as a substitute for English language exam results.

Thuy Nga