IELTS Band Score Calculator
Convert your Listening and Reading raw scores out of 40 into band scores, then combine all four skills to work out your overall band with the official IELTS rounding rule applied automatically. The page also works as a converter in reverse: pick a target overall band and see what one skill needs.
Work Out Your Band Scores
Enter your raw scores below. Results update instantly and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Listening
Raw score out of 40
Enter a score from 0 to 40 to see your band.
Reading
Raw score out of 40
Enter a score from 0 to 40 to see your band.
Overall Band Score
Pick your four section scores
Select all four scores to see your overall band.
What Do You Need for Your Target?
Pick your target overall band, then fill in any three of the four skills and leave the one you're solving for blank.
Select a target overall band, then leave exactly one skill blank.
IELTS Conversion Tables
The band-by-band tables the converters above use for Listening and Reading. IELTS.org itself publishes four conversion points for each paper; they are listed under the tables, and every one of them falls inside these rows.
Listening (Academic & General Training)
| Raw score (out of 40) | Band score |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 11–12 | 4.0 |
| 8–10 | 3.5 |
| 6–7 | 3.0 |
| 4–5 | 2.5 |
| 0–3 | below 2.5 |
Reading — Academic
| Raw score (out of 40) | Band score |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 8–9 | 3.5 |
| 6–7 | 3.0 |
| 4–5 | 2.5 |
| 0–3 | below 2.5 |
Reading — General Training
| Raw score (out of 40) | Band score |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 12–14 | 3.5 |
| 9–11 | 3.0 |
| 6–8 | 2.5 |
| 0–5 | below 2.5 |
How the overall band is rounded
IELTS averages your four section scores, then rounds that average to the nearest whole or half band. Averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band, and averages ending in .75 round up to the next whole band: both are halfway cases, and both go up.
- 6.125 average → rounds down to 6.0
- 6.25 average → rounds up to 6.5
- 6.75 average → rounds up to 7.0
A note on accuracy
IELTS.org publishes four conversion points for each paper and says that "the precise number of marks needed to achieve these band scores will vary slightly from test version to test version". The band-by-band tables above are the indicative tables widely used in preparation: every official point falls inside them, but the rows between the points are estimates, so a raw score at the edge of a row may land on the neighbouring band on your test date. Writing and Speaking have no raw-score table at all. An examiner assesses each against four equally weighted criteria, and the score is reported as a whole or half band, so there is no raw count to convert.
The Conversion Points IELTS.org Publishes
| Band | Listening (marks out of 40) | Reading, Academic | Reading, General Training |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0 | 35 | 35 | not listed |
| 7.0 | 30 | 30 | 35 |
| 6.0 | 23 | 23 | 30 |
| 5.0 | 16 | 15 | 23 |
| 4.0 | not listed | not listed | 15 |
Source: IELTS.org, "IELTS scoring in detail". IELTS.org describes these as the number of marks needed for each band on average and says the precise number varies slightly from test version to test version. It also notes that Academic Reading texts may use more difficult vocabulary or a more complex style, so a greater number of correct answers is usually needed on a General Training Reading paper to secure a given band.
How to Calculate an IELTS Band Score by Hand
The same arithmetic the calculator runs, written out, so you can check any result or work one out without the page.
Listening: 32 correct answers out of 40
Thirty-two falls in the 32 to 34 row of the Listening table, so the band is 7.5. IELTS.org's own points are 30 marks for band 7 and 35 for band 8, so 32 sits between them and the band-by-band table places it on the half band.
Because the exact marks vary slightly between test versions, read a result at the edge of a row, such as 32 or 34, as "7.5, or the band next to it".
Reading: 32 correct answers, Academic or General Training
The same 32 marks give 7.0 in Academic Reading (the 30 to 32 row) and 6.5 in General Training Reading (the 32 to 33 row). IELTS.org lists 35 marks for band 7 in General Training against 30 in Academic, and explains that a greater number of correct answers is usually needed on the General Training paper because the Academic texts may be harder.
Choose the version you booked with the switch above the Reading converter before you read the band.
Overall band: Listening 7.5, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.5, Speaking 6.5
Add the four bands: 7.5 + 7.0 + 6.5 + 6.5 = 27.5. Divide by four: 6.875. The nearest half band is 7.0, which is 0.125 away, while 6.5 is 0.375 away, so the overall band is 7.0.
With Writing at 6.0 the average is 6.75, which the official rule rounds up to 7.0 as well. With Writing and Speaking both at 6.0 the average is 6.625, which is nearer to 6.5, so the overall band is 6.5.
Target 7.0 overall with Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5 and Speaking 6.5
Try Writing at 6.5: the average is 6.625, which rounds to 6.5, so it is not enough. Try Writing at 7.0: the average is 6.75, which rounds up to 7.0. The minimum you need in Writing is therefore 7.0.
The target planner above runs this search for you, in half-band steps from 0.0 upward, and tells you when no score in the missing skill can reach the target.
What the Calculator Cannot Do
- It cannot give you a Writing or Speaking band. Those papers have no raw score: an examiner assesses each against four equally weighted criteria, and the score is reported as a whole or half band. You enter the Writing and Speaking bands you have, or expect, and the calculator combines them.
- It cannot convert a score from a practice test with fewer than 40 questions. The tables are built for a full paper, so a score out of 13 or 20 has no row to land on. Take a full-length paper to get a raw score you can convert.
- It cannot know the conversion of your test version. IELTS.org says the marks needed vary slightly between versions, so a Listening or Reading result here is a close estimate, not your official score.
- It is not your Test Report Form. Only the form IELTS issues after your test carries official scores; this page helps you plan, practise and check the arithmetic.
Where to Go Next
Once you know the band you need, these pages show what each paper asks for and what moves a score.
- The format of each paper: Listening, Academic Reading and Writing, and how Speaking is scored.
- From band 6 to band 7 in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
- Practise against a key in the browser: the Reading practice test and the Listening practice test.
- The scoring rules in brief: how the overall score is calculated and how the Listening score is calculated.
- Once you have the band, the IELTS score converter shows how ETS, Pearson, Duolingo and IELTS relate it to TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Duolingo English Test and CEFR scores.
Listening and Reading Are Objective. Speaking and Writing Are Not.
A raw score turns into a Listening or Reading band by table lookup — there's no judgement involved. Speaking and Writing have no such table: an examiner scores them against four criteria, and that's exactly where most candidates lose half a band without realising it. IELTS Mentor AI scores your Speaking and Writing against those same four criteria and returns a band range, so you can see where the half-band is slipping away.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about how IELTS band scores are calculated and rounded.
How is the IELTS overall band calculated?
IELTS averages your four section scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) and rounds the result to the nearest whole or half band. An average ending in .25 is rounded up to the next half band, and an average ending in .75 is rounded up to the next whole band.
Is there a separate IELTS band calculator for Academic and General Training?
Listening is the same paper with the same conversion in both versions, so one Listening converter serves both. Only Reading differs: IELTS.org lists 30 marks for band 7 in Academic Reading and 35 in General Training Reading, which is why the Reading converter above has an Academic and a General Training switch. The overall band and the target planner work the same way for both versions.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Listening and Reading?
IELTS.org lists 30 marks out of 40 for band 7 in Listening and in Academic Reading, and 35 marks for band 7 in General Training Reading, adding that the precise number varies slightly from test version to test version. In the band-by-band tables on this page, band 7 covers 30 to 31 marks in Listening, 30 to 32 in Academic Reading and 34 to 35 in General Training Reading.
Why is my Reading band lower than my Listening band with the same raw score?
It depends on the raw score and on which Reading test you take. In the conversion tables on this page, Academic Reading matches Listening at most bands, but it needs one more correct answer for Band 7.5 (33 against 32), Band 6.5 (27 against 26) and Band 5.5 (19 against 18), so a raw score of exactly 32, 26 or 18 gives half a band less in Academic Reading. At Band 5.0 and Band 4.0 it needs one fewer. General Training Reading needs more correct answers than both at every band, for example 30 for Band 6.0 against 23 in Listening and Academic Reading, so the same raw score gives a lower band there.
Does IELTS round 6.25 up or down?
Up. An overall average of 6.25 is rounded up to 6.5 under the official IELTS rounding rule. A .75 average rounds up to the next whole band, and a .25 average rounds up to the next half band.
Are half bands possible in each section?
Yes for all four sections. Listening and Reading band scores land on whole or half bands because of how raw scores map onto the conversion tables, and Writing and Speaking are scored directly in whole and half bands by examiners against the four criteria.
How do I work out what I need in one skill to reach my target overall band?
Fix the three skills you already know or expect, then test candidate scores for the remaining one from 0.0 upward in half-band steps. For each candidate, average all four scores and round using the official IELTS rule. The first candidate whose rounded overall meets your target is the minimum you need in that skill. If even a 9.0 in that skill isn't enough, your target isn't reachable with those three scores, and the best possible overall is whatever a 9.0 there rounds to.
Can I use this calculator to convert a practice test score?
Only when the practice paper had 40 questions, like the real Listening and Reading tests. A shorter set, such as the 13-question Reading practice test on this site, gives a score out of 13 that has no place on a 40-mark table. Sit a full-length paper under exam timing to get a raw score the converter can use.
Does the calculator give my IELTS Writing or Speaking band?
No. Writing and Speaking have no raw score. An examiner assesses each against four equally weighted criteria, and the score is reported as a whole or half band. Enter the Writing and Speaking bands you have, or expect, and the calculator combines them with Listening and Reading. For a guided look at the Speaking criteria, the Speaking self-assessment on this site walks through all four.