Free tool
IELTS Listening band score calculator.
Enter how many of the 40 Listening questions you got right to see your band and how many more correct answers reach the next one. Listening is scored the same way for Academic and General Training.
Approximate Listening band
7.0
Boundaries shift slightly between test versions, so treat this as a close estimate. Below band 4.0 there is no published conversion, so the calculator does not guess one. No sign-up, nothing stored.
IELTS Listening band score chart
Listening has 40 questions and each correct answer is worth one mark. Your total out of 40 is converted to a band in whole and half bands. No marks are taken off for a wrong answer.
IELTS's own reference points (correct answers → band)
- Listening: 16 → 5 · 23 → 6 · 30 → 7 · 35 → 8
The chart below agrees with every one of these.
Listening
| Correct answers | 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 |
For how the scoring works and how to gain marks, read the Listening band score guide. To combine this band with your other three skills, use the overall band score calculator. Need a real score to enter? Take a Listening test, free and unlimited.
Common questions
How do I calculate my IELTS Listening band score?
Count your correct answers out of 40 and convert the total with the band score chart. For example, 30 correct is about band 7.0 and 23 correct is about band 6.0. The calculator on this page does the conversion and shows how many more correct answers reach the next band.
What is 30 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
About band 7.0. IELTS gives 30 correct answers as its own reference point for band 7 in Listening, and 32 is where band 7.5 usually starts.
What Listening score do I need for band 8?
About 35 correct answers out of 40, which is the official reference point for band 8. Band 8.5 usually needs 37 and band 9 needs 39 or 40.
Is the Listening band score the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes. Academic and General Training candidates sit the same Listening test, so one conversion chart applies to both. Only Reading uses a different chart for each test type.
Do I lose marks for wrong answers in Listening?
No. A wrong answer and a blank both score zero, so always write something. You do lose the mark for a misspelt word or for going over the word limit, because the answer then counts as wrong.
Why did I get a different band from the calculator in my real test?
Each test version is calibrated separately, so the marks needed for a band can shift by one from version to version. Aim two or three correct answers above the band you need.
Your target band is closer than you think.
Start today with one essay or one Cambridge test. Ten minutes is enough.