In IELTS, each section is scored on a band scale from 0 to 9. Listening and Reading each have 40 questions, and your number of correct answers is converted into a band score using a conversion chart. Here's how it works.
Listening: correct answers → band
| 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 |
Academic Reading: correct answers → band
The Academic Reading chart is slightly stricter than Listening:
| Correct answers | 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 |
Note: the General Training Reading chart is more lenient than the Academic one — you don't need as many correct answers for the same band.
How the overall band score is calculated
Your overall band is the average of the four section scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking), rounded according to the official rule:
- If the average ends in .25, it rounds up to the next half band.
- If the average ends in .75, it rounds up to the next whole band.
- Otherwise it rounds to the nearest half band.
Examples
- 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.0 + 7.0 = 6.25 → 6.5
- 6.5 + 6.5 + 7.0 + 7.0 = 6.75 → 7.0
- 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.5 + 6.0 = 6.125 → 6.0
Calculate your score yourself
Enter your correct answers and see your overall band instantly with the free IELTS band score calculator. It works with both the Academic and General Training charts and applies the official rounding rule.
Want to know the Writing band for your essay? The Writing band checker gives you an instant AI-powered assessment.
