IELTS Band Score Calculator
Convert your raw Listening and Reading scores (out of 40) into IELTS band scores, add your Writing and Speaking bands, and get your overall IELTS band score — calculated with the official IELTS rounding rules. Works for both Academic and General Training.
Rounding rule: The four band scores are averaged and rounded to the nearest 0.5. An average ending in .25 rounds up to X.5; an average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole number.
IELTS raw score to band score conversion tables
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions worth one mark each — there is no penalty for wrong answers. Your raw score (number of correct answers) is converted to a band score using tables like these. The exact thresholds can shift slightly between test versions to keep difficulty consistent, but these are the widely published reference values.
Listening (Academic & General)
| Correct answers | Band score |
|---|---|
| 39 – 40 | 9.0 |
| 37 – 38 | 8.5 |
| 35 – 36 | 8.0 |
| 32 – 34 | 7.5 |
| 30 – 31 | 7.0 |
| 26 – 29 | 6.5 |
| 23 – 25 | 6.0 |
| 18 – 22 | 5.5 |
| 16 – 17 | 5.0 |
| 13 – 15 | 4.5 |
| 10 – 12 | 4.0 |
Reading — Academic
| Correct answers | Band score |
|---|---|
| 39 – 40 | 9.0 |
| 37 – 38 | 8.5 |
| 35 – 36 | 8.0 |
| 33 – 34 | 7.5 |
| 30 – 32 | 7.0 |
| 27 – 29 | 6.5 |
| 23 – 26 | 6.0 |
| 19 – 22 | 5.5 |
| 15 – 18 | 5.0 |
| 13 – 14 | 4.5 |
| 10 – 12 | 4.0 |
Reading — General Training
| Correct answers | Band score |
|---|---|
| 40 | 9.0 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37 – 38 | 8.0 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34 – 35 | 7.0 |
| 32 – 33 | 6.5 |
| 30 – 31 | 6.0 |
| 27 – 29 | 5.5 |
| 23 – 26 | 5.0 |
| 19 – 22 | 4.5 |
| 15 – 18 | 4.0 |
How the overall IELTS band score is calculated
Your overall band score is the mean of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. The rounding always works in your favour: an average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and an average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
- Listening 6.5 + Reading 6.5 + Writing 5.0 + Speaking 7.0 = average 6.25 → overall band 6.5
- Listening 4.0 + Reading 3.5 + Writing 4.0 + Speaking 4.0 = average 3.875 → overall band 4.0
- Listening 6.5 + Reading 6.5 + Writing 5.5 + Speaking 6.0 = average 6.125 → overall band 6.0
Writing and Speaking have no raw scores: examiners rate each against four assessment criteria and average those criterion scores into the section band. Most universities ask for an overall band of 6.5 – 7.0, often with per-section minimums, so always check your target institution's exact requirements.
Frequently asked questions
How is the overall IELTS band score calculated?+
Your overall band score is the average of your four section scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking), rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and an average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. For example, 6.25 becomes 6.5, and 6.75 becomes 7.0.
What raw score do I need for band 7.0 in IELTS Listening?+
You need at least 30 correct answers out of 40 in the Listening test for band 7.0. For band 7.5 you need 32, and for band 8.0 you need 35.
What raw score do I need for band 7.0 in IELTS Reading?+
In Academic Reading you need at least 30 correct answers out of 40 for band 7.0. In General Training Reading the threshold is higher: 34 correct answers, because the texts are considered less demanding.
Why are Academic and General Training Reading scored differently?+
Both versions have 40 questions, but the Academic texts are more complex, so fewer correct answers are needed for the same band. For example, band 6.0 requires 23 correct answers in Academic Reading but 30 in General Training Reading.
Is 6.75 rounded up or down in IELTS?+
Up. An average of 6.75 is rounded up to an overall band of 7.0. IELTS always rounds averages ending in .25 and .75 upward, never down.
How are IELTS Writing and Speaking scored?+
Writing and Speaking are not scored from raw marks. Examiners assess them against four criteria each (such as Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy for Writing), and the four criterion scores are averaged into the section band.
Know your target — now practice toward it
Take AI-scored IELTS Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking practice tests on Worddemy and see your estimated band after every session. The free plan needs no card.