IELTS Band Score Calculator
Free IELTS band score calculator. Combine your four section bands into an overall score, or convert your Listening and Reading correct answers out of 40 into a band.
Already have your four section bands? Select each one to get your overall IELTS band with the official rounding rule.
Enter how many Listening questions you answered correctly. The Listening test has 40 questions and the same table applies to Academic and General Training.
Enter how many Academic Reading questions you answered correctly out of 40 to see your estimated band.
Enter how many General Training Reading questions you answered correctly out of 40. This table is stricter than Academic Reading.
What Is the IELTS Band Score Calculator?
The IELTS band score calculator does two jobs. It combines your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands into the overall band that universities and immigration offices ask for, and it converts your raw Listening or Reading score (correct answers out of 40) into a band.
Use it while you practise with mock tests, to see how many more correct answers lift your band, or to check what overall band your four section scores add up to. If you are moving on to study, the CGPA Calculator and the CGPA for scholarships guide cover the academic side of an application.
How to Use This IELTS Band Score Calculator
Choose a Calculator
Pick Overall to combine four section bands, or choose Listening, Academic Reading or General Reading to convert correct answers into a band.
Enter Correct Answers
For Listening or Reading, type how many of the 40 questions you answered correctly and press Calculate. Whole numbers from 0 to 40 only.
Send the Band to Overall
Press Use in overall calculator to carry the Listening or Reading band straight into the Overall tab.
Add Writing and Speaking
Select your Writing and Speaking bands. These are marked by examiners, so enter the bands you received or expect.
Read Your Overall Band
Press Calculate overall. Open Show calculation to see the average and exactly how IELTS rounding was applied.
How the Overall IELTS Band Is Calculated
Your overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half or whole band.
The rounding rule is specific to IELTS. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
| Average of four bands | Overall band | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 6.125 | 6.0 | Rounds down to the whole band |
| 6.25 | 6.5 | .25 rounds up to the next half band |
| 6.375 | 6.5 | Rounds up to the half band |
| 6.625 | 6.5 | Rounds down to the half band |
| 6.75 | 7.0 | .75 rounds up to the next whole band |
| 6.875 | 7.0 | Rounds up to the whole band |
Listening and Reading bands come from raw scores, while Writing and Speaking are marked directly against band descriptors. Only the four final bands enter the average.
IELTS Listening and Reading Band Score Table
These ranges show the average number of correct answers (out of 40) needed for each band. Listening uses one table for both Academic and General Training. Reading has two tables, and General Training needs more correct answers for the same band.
| Band | Listening | Academic Reading | General Training Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39–40 | 39–40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37–38 | 37–38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35–36 | 35–36 | 37–38 |
| 7.5 | 32–34 | 33–34 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 30–31 | 30–32 | 34–35 |
| 6.5 | 26–29 | 27–29 | 32–33 |
| 6.0 | 23–25 | 23–26 | 30–31 |
| 5.5 | 18–22 | 19–22 | 27–29 |
| 5.0 | 16–17 | 15–18 | 23–26 |
| 4.5 | 13–15 | 13–14 | 19–22 |
| 4.0 | 11–12 | 10–12 | 15–18 |
| 3.5 | 8–10 | 8–9 | 12–14 |
| 3.0 | 6–7 | 6–7 | 9–11 |
Exact thresholds can vary slightly between test versions. Bands below 4.0 and scores of 0 to 3 are less reliable estimates.
IELTS Score Calculation Example
Suppose a candidate answers 30 Listening questions and 33 Academic Reading questions correctly, and receives 6.5 in Writing and 6.5 in Speaking.
The average 6.875 is above 6.75, so it rounds up to a whole band. The same candidate with 6.0 in Speaking would average 6.75 and still reach overall 7.0, while 5.5 would give 6.625 and an overall 6.5. These are illustrations, not an official result.
Overall Band Targets and Section Minimums
Many universities and visa programmes ask for an overall band plus a minimum in each section. A candidate can reach the overall target and still miss a section requirement, so check both. The overall band needs an average of at least:
| Target overall band | Minimum average of four sections | Total of the four bands |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 8.75 | 35.0 |
| 8.5 | 8.25 | 33.0 |
| 8.0 | 7.75 | 31.0 |
| 7.5 | 7.25 | 29.0 |
| 7.0 | 6.75 | 27.0 |
| 6.5 | 6.25 | 25.0 |
| 6.0 | 5.75 | 23.0 |
| 5.5 | 5.25 | 21.0 |
Always confirm the exact requirement with your university, employer or immigration authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Add your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands, divide by four, then round to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. Averages ending in .125 or .375 round to the nearest half band as normal (down and up respectively).
Count your correct answers out of 40 in Listening or Reading and look up the matching band in the conversion table for that test. This calculator does the lookup for you: pick Listening, Academic Reading or General Reading, type your correct answers and press the calculate button.
30 correct answers in Listening is band 7.0. Band 7.0 covers 30 to 31 correct answers, and you need 32 for band 7.5.
In Academic Reading 30 correct answers is band 7.0. In General Training Reading 30 correct answers is only band 6.0, because General Training texts are easier and the table is stricter.
General Training passages are generally less demanding, so more correct answers are needed for the same band. For example band 7.0 needs 30 correct in Academic Reading but 34 in General Training Reading. Listening uses one table for both modules.
You need an average of at least 6.75 across the four sections, because 6.75 rounds up to 7.0. For example 7.0, 7.0, 6.5, 6.5 averages 6.75 and gives an overall 7.0. Enter any combination in the Overall tab to check it.
Yes. An average between .75 and .99 rounds up to the next whole band, so 6.875 becomes 7.0. An average of 6.625 rounds to 6.5.
No. Writing and Speaking are marked by examiners against band descriptors, so they cannot be worked out from a raw score. Enter the bands you expect or received in the Overall tab.
Yes. The Listening and Reading conversion works the same way on both formats, and the overall band uses the same averaging and rounding rule.
The tables show the average number of correct answers for each band. Cambridge and the IELTS partners note that the exact marks can vary slightly between test versions, so treat the result as a reliable estimate, not an official score.
It depends on the purpose. Many universities ask for an overall 6.0 to 7.0, and visa and migration programmes set their own minimums, sometimes per section. Always check the requirement of your institution or immigration authority.
No. It is an estimate based on published conversion tables and the overall rounding rule. Your official scores appear on your IELTS Test Report Form.
Scoring Reference
The conversion tables follow the published IELTS raw-score guides. Always confirm your result against your official Test Report Form.
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