Free tool
IELTS band score calculator.
This IELTS score calculator works out your overall band, which is the average of your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands, rounded to the nearest half band. Enter your four bands to get it, or convert correct answers out of 40 into a Listening or Reading band. No sign-up, nothing stored.
Overall band = (Listening + Reading + Writing + Speaking) ÷ 4, rounded to the nearest half band.
Overall band
The average of your four bands, rounded to the nearest half band (.25 and .75 round up).
Overall band
6.5
Average: 6.50
Raw score to band
Convert correct answers out of 40 into an approximate band. The published tables cover bands 4.0 to 9.0.
Approximate band
7.0
Boundaries shift slightly between test versions; treat these as close estimates, not guarantees. Below band 4.0 there is no published conversion, so the calculator does not guess one.
How IELTS rounding actually works
Your overall band is the arithmetic mean of the four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half band. Two rules surprise people: 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.
- 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.0 + 7.0 = average 6.25 → overall 6.5
- 7.0 + 7.0 + 6.5 + 6.5 = average 6.75 → overall 7.0
- 6.5 + 6.5 + 6.5 + 6.0 = average 6.375 → overall 6.5 (rounds to the nearest half)
Four scores in half bands can only average to eight possible endings, so this table covers every result you can get:
| Average ends in | Example | Overall band | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| .0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | Already a whole band |
| .125 | 6.125 | 6.0 | Rounds down to the whole band |
| .25 | 6.25 | 6.5 | Rounds up to the half band |
| .375 | 6.375 | 6.5 | Rounds up to the half band |
| .5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | Already a half band |
| .625 | 6.625 | 6.5 | Rounds down to the half band |
| .75 | 6.75 | 7.0 | Rounds up to the next whole band |
| .875 | 6.875 | 7.0 | Rounds up to the next whole band |
This means one strong skill can pull a weak one up more than most candidates expect — and it is why knowing your weakest skill matters. If Writing is holding your average down, targeted writing practice with criteria-level feedback moves your overall band faster than more hours on a skill that is already at target. To see what each overall band means, read IELTS levels explained; to set a target, see what band score you actually need.
Raw score conversion tables
Listening and Reading are marked out of 40 and converted to bands. These are the commonly published boundaries; individual test versions are calibrated and can differ by a mark. For why General Training needs more correct answers and how the rounding actually works, read how your answers become a band score.
IELTS's own reference points (correct answers → band)
- Listening: 16 → 5 · 23 → 6 · 30 → 7 · 35 → 8
- Academic Reading: 15 → 5 · 23 → 6 · 30 → 7 · 35 → 8
- General Training Reading: 15 → 4 · 23 → 5 · 30 → 6 · 35 → 7
The tables below agree with every one of these. IELTS notes that the marks needed vary slightly from one test version to another.
Listening
| Correct | Band |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Academic Reading
| Correct | Band |
|---|---|
| 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 |
General Training Reading
| Correct | Band |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Working on one skill? The Listening band score calculator and the Reading band score calculator also show how many more correct answers reach the next band.
Want real scores to enter? Sit a full IELTS mock test. Found the skill pulling your average down? Practise it directly: Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking.
Common questions
How is the overall IELTS band score calculated?
Your overall band is the average of your Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking bands, rounded to the nearest half band. Averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band, and averages ending in .75 round up to the next whole band.
Does the IELTS score round up or down?
Both, to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 or .75 rounds up, so 6.25 becomes an overall band of 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0. Averages just below those points round down: 6.125 becomes 6.0 and 6.625 becomes 6.5.
What do 6.125, 6.375, 6.625 and 6.875 round to?
6.125 rounds to 6.0, 6.375 to 6.5, 6.625 to 6.5 and 6.875 to 7.0. Each goes to the nearest half band. The same pattern holds at every level, so 7.75 becomes 8.0 and 5.125 becomes 5.0.
How many correct answers do I need for Band 7 in Listening?
Approximately 30 out of 40 correct answers gives Band 7 in Listening. The exact boundary can shift slightly between test versions because each version is calibrated separately.
Are Reading conversion tables different for Academic and General Training?
Yes. General Training Reading requires more correct answers for the same band. For example, Band 7 needs roughly 30 correct answers on Academic but 34–35 on General Training, where the official reference point is 35. Exact boundaries vary slightly between test versions.
Can I calculate a band below 4.0?
Yes for the overall band: the skill selectors run from 0 to 9, and the averaging rule is the same at every level. The raw-score converter stops at 4.0, because IELTS publishes no reference points below that, so lower raw scores show as below 4.0 rather than a guessed band.
If my overall band meets the requirement, am I done?
Not always. Many universities and visa routes also set a minimum for each skill, so an overall 7.0 with a 6.0 in Writing can still fall short of a 7.0 overall, 6.5 each requirement. Check both numbers.
Your target band is closer than you think.
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