EngldomIELTS Band Scores Explained
IELTS is scored on a 9-band scale, from Band 1 (non-user) to Band 9 (expert user). You receive a band for each of the four skills, and an overall band that is the average of the four. This guide explains exactly how those numbers are produced.
How each skill is scored
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions. Your number of correct answers (your raw score) is converted to a band using a fixed table. Writing and Speaking are marked by examiners against four criteria, each worth 25% of the skill band.
Listening — raw score to band
| 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 |
Academic Reading — raw score 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 |
General Training Reading uses a slightly different, more demanding table because the texts are easier — you need around 34 correct for Band 7, compared with 30 for Academic.
How Writing and Speaking are scored
Each is marked on four equally-weighted criteria:
- Writing: Task Achievement/Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
- Speaking: Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy, Pronunciation.
In Writing, Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1, so your overall Writing band is calculated as (Task 1 + 2 × Task 2) ÷ 3.
How the overall band is calculated
Add your four skill bands, divide by four, and round to the nearest half band using the official rule:
- A
.25average rounds up to the next half band. - A
.75average rounds up to the next whole band.
For example, bands of 6.5 (L), 6.0 (R), 7.0 (W), 6.0 (S) average to 6.375, which rounds to an overall Band 6.5.
Try the free band calculator
Engldom includes a free IELTS Band Calculator: enter your raw Listening and Reading scores to see your band instantly, and combine all four skills to find your overall band with the official rounding applied automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good IELTS score?
It depends on your goal. Most universities ask for Band 6.0–7.0, and many professional registration or immigration programmes require Band 7.0 or higher in each skill.
Is half a band a big difference?
Yes. Half a band can be the difference between meeting and missing a university or visa requirement, and it typically represents weeks of focused improvement.
Can my overall band be higher than my individual skills?
Yes, because of rounding. If your four bands average to a .25 or .75, the overall band rounds up, so it can sit above some of your individual skill scores.
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