How IELTS scores work
IELTS reports a band from 0 to 9 for each of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), in steps of half a band, and an overall band that is the average of the four.
- Listening and Reading have 40 questions each, worth one mark each. Your number of correct answers (the raw score) is converted to a band with a table like the ones below.
- Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners against four criteria each, so there is no raw score to convert.
- Academic and General Training share the same Listening test, but their Reading tests are different, and so are their conversion tables: General Training needs more correct answers for the same band.
Listening: correct answers to band
The same table applies to Academic and General Training.
| Correct answers (out of 40) | 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 answers to band
| Correct answers (out of 40) | 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 answers to band
The General Training texts are more everyday, so the scale is stricter: 30 correct is around band 6 here, but band 7 in Academic Reading.
| Correct answers (out of 40) | 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 |
How the overall band is rounded
Add your four bands and divide by four. 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. Anything below those rounds down.
Three examples
- 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.5 + 6.0 = 24.5 → average 6.125 → overall 6.0
- 6.5 + 6.5 + 6.0 + 6.0 = 25 → average 6.25 → overall 6.5
- 7.0 + 6.5 + 6.5 + 7.0 = 27 → average 6.75 → overall 7.0
That is why a half band in one skill can lift your overall score: check the calculator above with your target before deciding which skill to work on.
Raising your Reading and Listening scores
Because every question is worth the same, the quickest gains usually come from the question types you lose most marks on, not from reading more. Practise under the real time limit, check every wrong answer against the passage, and keep a list of the traps that caught you.
Start with the two Reading types most learners find hardest: True / False / Not Given and matching headings.
Questions
Is this calculator official?+
No. It uses the widely published conversion tables, which are approximate: the official conversion can differ slightly from one test version to another. Use it to track progress, not to predict an exact result.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in Reading?+
Around 30 out of 40 in Academic Reading, and around 34 out of 40 in General Training Reading.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in Listening?+
Around 30 out of 40. Listening uses the same table for Academic and General Training.
How is the overall IELTS band calculated?+
It is the average of your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to .5, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.