ScoreFluentMET vs IELTS Academic: how do they differ?
Both test all four skills, but they are built differently: MET is one 155-minute sitting on a computer with a recorded Speaking section, reported 0–80, while IELTS reports half bands from 0 to 9 and Speaking is a conversation with an examiner.
Two four-skill tests, built differently.
| MET | IELTS Academic | |
|---|---|---|
| Total time | 155 minutes | 2 hours 45 minutes, as IELTS lists it |
| Delivery | Digital: all four sections on a computer in one administration | See IELTS for current delivery options at your centre |
| Speaking | Five recorded tasks, no examiner, rated afterwards | A conversation with an examiner |
| Writing | 45 minutes: three short responses and an essay | 60 minutes: describe visual information, then a response to an argument or problem |
| Reading | 65 minutes; 20 grammar items plus single and linked texts | 60 minutes; no separate grammar items |
| Listening | 35 minutes; 50 questions in 3 parts | About 30 minutes |
| Score scale | 0–80 per section; overall is the average; CEFR A2–C1 | 0–9 in whole and half bands; overall is the average with IELTS rounding |
| One-section retake | Writing, Listening or Reading, once; not Speaking | IELTS has its own One Skill Retake rules; check ielts.org |
MET facts are from Michigan’s handbook and sample tests; the IELTS column follows IELTS’s published format pages, and IELTS details change, so confirm them on ielts.org before you book.
What the official table says about scores.
Michigan Language Assessment published a concordance study with IELTS Academic in February 2025. These are its overall equivalences:
| IELTS Academic band | MET overall range |
|---|---|
| 4.5 | 38–43 |
| 5.0 | 44–48 |
| 5.5 | 49–52 |
| 6.0 | 53–57 |
| 6.5 | 58–61 |
| 7.0 | 62–66 |
| 7.5 | 67–70 |
| 8.0 | 71–75 |
| 8.5 | 76–80 |
The study also publishes per-skill tables. A concordance is a statistical link between scores, not an exchange rate, and it does not say which test is easier; it says which scores tend to mark the same level of ability. An institution decides which test and which score it accepts.
How to decide between them.
Start with the requirement
If your university, board or visa names one test, take that one. No conversion table overrides an offer letter. If both are accepted, the choice is about format and logistics, not a ranking.
Choose on how you perform
If speaking to an examiner makes you freeze, a recorded Speaking section may suit you; if talking to a microphone with no reaction feels worse, it will not. The same goes for a computer-only sitting versus the format you have practised for.
Check delivery rules
Some institutions and agencies accept only test-centre MET and not at-home sittings, and at-home MET testing is paused indefinitely after 30 September 2026. Your score report shows how you tested.
Use the score you need, not the band you know
Michigan’s table lets you translate a requirement quoted in IELTS bands into a target MET range, for example IELTS 6.5 to MET 58–61, then check it against the CEFR level your institution asks for.
Straight from the test maker.
ScoreFluent is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Michigan Language Assessment. The MET facts and the concordance here come from Michigan’s published documents:
- MET Test Taker Handbook, July 2025 (PDF) — format, timings, scale and the MET and IELTS comparison table.
- Score Equivalences Between MET and IELTS Academic, public version (PDF)
- IELTS Academic: official format
Exam details change — the test maker revises its documents during the year. If a decision hangs on a detail here, check it against the official pages above first; they outrank this page.
Keep going: the full format guide, how scoring works, MET scores and CEFR, MET vs TOEFL, the IELTS guide, compare all English tests.
MET vs IELTS, answered.
Is MET easier than IELTS?
There is no honest yes or no. Michigan’s concordance study links MET and IELTS Academic scores, for example IELTS 6.5 to MET 58–61, but a concordance shows which scores tend to represent the same ability, not which test is easier. The tests differ in format, so the better question is which one suits how you perform.
What MET score equals IELTS 6.5?
Michigan’s published overall concordance maps IELTS 6.5 to MET 58–61. IELTS 6.0 corresponds to MET 53–57, IELTS 7.0 to 62–66 and IELTS 7.5 to 67–70. Institutions decide which score they accept, so confirm the requirement with them.
Is MET Speaking different from IELTS Speaking?
Yes. MET Speaking is five recorded tasks answered into the computer microphone with no examiner present, rated afterwards by certified raters. IELTS Speaking is a conversation with an examiner.
Which is longer, MET or IELTS?
MET is 155 minutes in one digital sitting. IELTS lists a total of 2 hours 45 minutes. Check your own booking for the exact schedule.
Does MET have a grammar section?
Not as a separate section, but Reading Part 1 is 20 grammar items, and they count toward your Reading score. IELTS Reading has no separate grammar items.
Can I retake one part of MET or IELTS?
MET offers a single section retake for Writing, Listening or Reading, requested within three days of results and completed within 28 days of the original test. IELTS has its own One Skill Retake rules, so check ielts.org for the current terms.
Does ScoreFluent offer MET and IELTS practice?
MET practice is live, free to start, with Speaking and Writing scored on Michigan’s published scales. IELTS Academic and General Training practice are also live on ScoreFluent. Results are practice estimates, not official scores.
Start practising MET today.
MET practice is live on ScoreFluent — try a few tasks and see how the format feels, free to start.
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