IELTS band score calculator

IELTS® band score calculator

Your overall IELTS band is the average of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 goes up to the next half band and one ending in .75 goes up to the next whole band: 6.25 becomes 6.5, 6.75 becomes 7.0 and 6.125 becomes 6.0.

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By , founder of Ashore · Updated

ielts.org’s own example

6.5

Listening 6.5 · Reading 6.5 · Writing 5.0 · Speaking 7.0

  • Average 6.25
  • Ends in .25, so it goes up to the next half band

Calculate your overall band

Enter your four scores; the overall band and how it was rounded update as you type. On the right, look up a Listening or Reading band from your number of correct answers.

Overall band from four scores

Overall band

Average 6.25

6.5

6.25 rounds up to 6.5: an average ending in .25 or more goes up to the next half band.

Correct answers to a band

Paper

About

7.0

30 correct in Listening is about band 7.0 (30–31 correct in the table below).

IDP’s indicative table. The exact cut-offs vary slightly from test to test; your Test Report Form is what counts.

The rounding rule and raw score tables

How the average is rounded

Average ends inRounds toExample
.0 / .5Stays as it is7.0 → 7.0
.125Down to the whole band6.125 → 6.0
.25 / .375Up to the next half band6.25 → 6.5
.625Down to the half band6.625 → 6.5
.75 / .875Up to the next whole band6.75 → 7.0

Worked examples from IELTS and IDP

FromListeningReadingWritingSpeakingAverageOverall
ielts.org6.56.55.07.06.256.5
ielts.org4.03.54.04.03.8754.0
ielts.org6.56.55.56.06.1256.0
IDP6.56.06.07.06.3756.5
IDP7.07.06.57.57.07.0

Correct answers to a band (indicative)

IDP’s reference tables for the 40-question Listening and Reading papers. IELTS says the marks needed for each band vary slightly from test to test, so treat these as a guide. Lower scores have no published conversion, so they are not listed.

Listening

Correct answersBand
39–409.0
37–388.5
35–368.0
32–347.5
30–317.0
26–296.5
23–256.0
18–225.5
16–175.0
13–154.5
11–124.0

Academic Reading

Correct answersBand
39–409.0
37–388.5
35–368.0
33–347.5
30–327.0
27–296.5
23–266.0
19–225.5
15–185.0
13–144.5
10–124.0
8–93.5
6–73.0
4–52.5

General Training Reading

Correct answersBand
409.0
398.5
37–388.0
367.5
357.0
32–346.5
30–316.0
27–295.5
23–265.0
19–224.5
15–184.0
12–143.5
9–113.0
IDP’s Egypt table counts 34 correct as band 7. ielts.org gives 35 as the usual mark for band 7, so we use the lower reading and list 34 under 6.5.

How IELTS scores work

Four sectionsListening, Reading, Writing and Speaking carry equal weight. Each gets a band from 0 to 9, in whole or half bands.
Overall bandThe average of the four, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. .25 goes up to the next half band, .75 to the next whole band; anything less goes down.
Listening and Reading40 questions each. Your number of correct answers is converted to a band; the exact marks for each band vary slightly from test to test.
Academic and General Training ReadingThe same band scale, but General Training usually needs more correct answers for the same band.

Questions about IELTS band scores

Still have a question? support@tryashore.com

Add the four section bands, 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, and anything below those rounds down.

Marteen Tang · Founder of Ashore

Marteen Tang founded Ashore and works on its IELTS and TOEFL Speaking mock tests: the questions, the AI examiner and the reports.

Sources

Facts about the test on this page come from the official IELTS pages below. If IELTS changes the test, their pages win.

  1. 1. IELTS Academic: Speaking test format, IELTS
  2. 2. IELTS Speaking band descriptors (PDF), IELTS
  3. 3. IELTS scoring in detail, IELTS
  4. 4. How to prepare for the IELTS Speaking test, IDP IELTS
  5. 5. IELTS Speaking free practice questions and sample tasks, IDP IELTS
  6. 6. IELTS preparation and sample papers, Cambridge English
  7. 7. IELTS Listening band scores, IDP IELTS
  8. 8. IELTS Reading band scores, IDP IELTS
  9. 9. IELTS score calculator, IDP IELTS

Keep going

Free IELTS Speaking mock testParts 1–3 in the real order, about 14 minutes, with a full report after.IELTS Speaking guideThe test format, the four criteria and this season’s cue cards.TOEFL score converterThe new 1–6 TOEFL scale against the old 0–120, with ETS’s tables.

See where your Speaking is now

The free mock test runs Parts 1–3 with an AI examiner that follows up and keeps time. Your first test and its report are free.

Start freeCalculate my band

Part 1 · AI examiner

Do you work or are you a student?

Answer out loud. Band estimate in about ten seconds.