IELTS scores
IELTS Band Score Calculator and How IELTS Scores Work
Your IELTS result is a band from 0 to 9 for each of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, plus an overall band. Use the calculator for your overall band — it applies IELTS's own rounding rule — and see roughly how many correct answers each Listening and Reading band takes.
Overall band score calculator
Choose all four section scores.
Listening and Reading: from correct answers to a band
Enter a number of correct answers from 0 to 40.
An estimate: IELTS publishes only the average marks at a few bands, and the exact marks vary between test versions.
How the overall IELTS band is calculated
The overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. If the average ends in .25 it rounds up to the next half band; if it ends in .75 it rounds up to the next whole band. IELTS's own examples:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 |
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
IELTS Listening and Reading: marks needed per band
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions, one mark each; the marks are converted to a band. These are the average marks IELTS reports at each band — the exact number varies slightly from test to test.
| Band | Listening | Academic Reading | General Training Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 35 | 35 | — |
| 7 | 30 | 30 | 35 |
| 6 | 23 | 23 | 30 |
| 5 | 16 | 15 | 23 |
| 4 | — | — | 15 |
General Training Reading usually needs more correct answers for the same band, because its texts are less complex. See IELTS Reading question types and IELTS Listening question types.
How IELTS Writing and Speaking are scored
Writing
Four criteria per task: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Try our free Task 2 checker.
Speaking
Four equally weighted criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. See the IELTS practice test guide for AI-graded Speaking practice.
What each IELTS band means
IELTS's skill-level names, with our short paraphrase of each description.
- Band 9 · Expert
- Full, accurate and fluent command of English.
- Band 8 · Very good
- Full command with only occasional errors; handles complex argument well.
- Band 7 · Good
- Operational command with occasional errors and misunderstandings; handles complex language generally well.
- Band 6 · Competent
- Effective command despite some errors; copes with reasonably complex language in familiar situations.
- Band 5 · Modest
- Partial command; gets overall meaning in most situations but makes many mistakes.
- Band 4 · Limited
- Basic competence in familiar situations only; frequent problems understanding and expressing.
- Band 3 · Extremely limited
- Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations.
- Band 2 · Intermittent
- Great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
- Band 1 · Non-user
- No ability beyond a few isolated words.
- Band 0 · Did not attempt
- No answers given.
FAQ
How is the overall IELTS band score calculated?
Add the four section bands (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking), divide by four, and round to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band; one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. For example, 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Listening?
IELTS says band 7 in Listening is, on average, about 30 correct answers out of 40. The exact number varies slightly between test versions.
Is General Training Reading scored differently from Academic Reading?
They use the same band scale, but General Training usually needs more correct answers for the same band — on average about 30 of 40 for band 6, against 23 for Academic.
How are IELTS Writing and Speaking scored?
Examiners score four criteria each. Writing: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Speaking: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation.
How long is an IELTS score valid?
IELTS recommends that results are considered valid for two years after the test, though organisations can choose to accept them for longer.
Is this calculator official?
No. The rounding rule is IELTS's own, so the overall band it calculates from four section bands is exact. The marks estimate is approximate, because IELTS only publishes average marks at a few bands.
Source
Rounding rule, marks per band, band names and validity: IELTS scoring in detail (ielts.org), read 28 September 2026. This calculator is not affiliated with IELTS.