Your IELTS result shows a score for each of the four skills and an overall band. Understanding how those numbers are worked out helps you set realistic targets, especially when a university, employer or immigration program asks for a minimum in each section.
The short answer: each skill (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) gets a band from 0 to 9. Your overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half or whole band. 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.
The 0–9 band scale
| Band | Description |
| 9 | Expert |
| 8 | Very good |
| 7 | Good |
| 6 | Competent |
| 5 | Modest |
| 4 | Limited |
| 3 | Extremely limited |
| 2 | Intermittent |
| 1 | Non-user |
| 0 | Did not attempt the test |
Step 1: Your section scores
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions. Each correct answer earns one mark, and your raw score out of 40 is converted to a band.
IDP publishes these average conversions. The exact number of correct answers needed can vary slightly between test versions:
| Listening (raw score) | Band |
| 40 | 9 |
| 35 | 8 |
| 30 | 7 |
| 23 | 6 |
| 16 | 5 |
| Academic Reading (raw score) | Band |
| 35 | 8 |
| 30 | 7 |
| 23 | 6 |
| 15 | 5 |
| General Training Reading (raw score) | Band |
| 38 | 8 |
| 34 | 7 |
| 30 | 6 |
| 23 | 5 |
| 15 | 4 |
Notice that General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band. Academic and General Training are marked on the same scale, but the texts differ. For example, 30 correct answers is about band 7 in Academic Reading but about band 6 in General Training Reading.
Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners using published criteria.
- Writing: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2); Coherence and Cohesion; Lexical Resource; and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1.
- Speaking: Fluency and Coherence; Lexical Resource; Grammatical Range and Accuracy; and Pronunciation.
Step 2: The overall band and rounding rules
Add your four section scores and divide by four. Then round:
| If the average ends in… | It becomes… | Example |
| .25 | the next half band | 6.25 → 6.5 |
| .75 | the next whole band | 6.75 → 7.0 |
| Below .25 | the whole band below | 6.125 → 6.0 |
| Between .25 and .75 | the half band | 6.375 → 6.5 |
Worked examples
Example 1:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall |
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
Example 2:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall |
| 8.0 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.25 | 7.5 |
Example 3:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall |
| 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.75 | 7.0 |
Why section scores matter as much as the overall
Many organisations set minimum scores for each skill, not just an overall band. For example, Canada’s Express Entry uses Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) levels based on each individual skill score. So a strong overall band won’t help if one skill falls below the requirement. Check exactly what your university, employer or immigration program asks for.
How to use this to plan your preparation
- Find your weakest skill. It usually offers the biggest improvement for your overall band.
- Track your raw scores in Listening and Reading practice tests, and use the tables above as a rough guide.
- Get feedback on Writing and Speaking against the official criteria. These are hard to self-assess.
- Remember Task 2 counts double in Writing.
Frequently asked questions
How is the IELTS overall band score calculated?
It’s the average of your four section scores, rounded to the nearest half or whole band. .25 rounds up to the next half band, and .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in Listening?
About 30 out of 40, on average. The exact number can vary slightly between tests.
Is General Training Reading easier than Academic?
The texts are different. General Training needs more correct answers for the same band. For example, about 34 for band 7, compared with about 30 in Academic.
Does Writing Task 2 count more than Task 1?
Yes. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to your Writing score.
Can I get a band of 6.25?
No. Section and overall scores are reported in whole and half bands.
Find out where you are today
At IELTS With Viv, our trainers can assess your current level in each skill and help you plan for your target band. See our IELTS courses or register.