IELTS band score calculator explained: raw scores to bands for Listening and Reading
How IELTS converts Listening and Reading raw scores into bands, with conversion tables for Academic and General Training and how the overall band is rounded.
By IELTSora teaching team · Updated · 4 min read
How IELTS scoring works in simple terms
IELTS reports a band from 0 to 9 for each of the four skills, in steps of 0.5, plus an overall band. Listening and Reading are marked objectively: each test has 40 questions, every correct answer earns one mark, and your total out of 40 is your raw score. That raw score is then converted into a band using a conversion table.
Writing and Speaking work differently. Trained examiners score them against four published criteria each, such as Task Response and Lexical Resource for Writing, or Fluency and Coherence and Pronunciation for Speaking. There is no raw score to convert, so no calculator can predict those bands precisely.
One important point: the official conversion is adjusted slightly from test version to test version so that a band means the same thing whether a paper was a little easier or harder. The tables below show typical values that most students and teachers use for practice. Treat them as a reliable guide, not a guarantee.
Listening raw score to band (Academic and General Training)
Listening is the same test for both modules, so one table applies to everyone.
Typical Listening conversion
39–40 correct → Band 9
37–38 → Band 8.5
35–36 → Band 8
32–34 → Band 7.5
30–31 → Band 7
26–29 → Band 6.5
23–25 → Band 6
18–22 → Band 5.5
16–17 → Band 5
13–15 → Band 4.5
10–12 → Band 4
Academic Reading raw score to band
Academic Reading passages are longer and more complex, so the table is a little more generous than General Training at the middle bands.
Typical Academic Reading conversion
39–40 correct → Band 9
37–38 → Band 8.5
35–36 → Band 8
33–34 → Band 7.5
30–32 → Band 7
27–29 → Band 6.5
23–26 → Band 6
19–22 → Band 5.5
15–18 → Band 5
13–14 → Band 4.5
10–12 → Band 4
General Training Reading raw score to band
General Training texts are everyday materials such as notices, job adverts and workplace documents. Because they are easier to read, you need more correct answers for the same band. This surprises many candidates applying for migration to Canada or Australia, who expect General Training to be easy marks.
Typical General Training Reading conversion
40 correct → Band 9
39 → Band 8.5
37–38 → Band 8
36 → Band 7.5
34–35 → Band 7
32–33 → Band 6.5
30–31 → Band 6
27–29 → Band 5.5
23–26 → Band 5
19–22 → Band 4.5
15–18 → Band 4
How the overall band score is calculated
Your overall band is the average of the four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half band. The rounding rule is simple once you see it: if the average ends in .25, it rounds up to the next half band; if it ends in .75, it rounds up to the next whole band. Anything below those points rounds down.
Worked examples
Listening 7, Reading 6.5, Writing 6, Speaking 6.5 → total 26 ÷ 4 = 6.5 → Overall 6.5
Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.5, Speaking 6 → total 24.5 ÷ 4 = 6.125 → Overall 6
Listening 7, Reading 6.5, Writing 6, Speaking 6 → total 25.5 ÷ 4 = 6.375 → Overall 6.5
Listening 8, Reading 7.5, Writing 6.5, Speaking 7 → total 29 ÷ 4 = 7.25 → Overall 7.5
Listening 7.5, Reading 7, Writing 6.5, Speaking 6 → total 27 ÷ 4 = 6.75 → Overall 7
How to use these tables in your practice
After every practice test, convert your raw score and write the band in a log. One test tells you very little because some passages suit you better than others; the average of your last three tests is a much better prediction. Look at how far you are from the next band boundary. If you score 29 in Listening, you are one answer away from Band 7, which usually means accuracy work on spelling and plurals rather than a full skills overhaul.
Also check your requirement carefully. Many universities in the UK, Australia and Canada ask for an overall band and a minimum in each skill, for example overall 6.5 with no band below 6. A high Listening score cannot rescue a Writing band that falls under the minimum.
Estimating Writing and Speaking bands
For Writing and Speaking, the best you can do at home is compare your work with the public band descriptors and with model answers at known bands. Be strict with yourself: an essay with frequent grammar errors and a vague position is rarely above Band 6, however advanced the vocabulary. Feedback from a teacher or a careful study partner is the most reliable way to estimate these two skills.
Frequently asked questions
How many correct answers do I need for Band 7 in Listening? Usually 30 out of 40.
How many correct answers do I need for Band 7 in Academic Reading? Usually around 30 out of 40. In General Training Reading you need about 34.
Are half marks given in Listening or Reading? No. Each answer is either correct or incorrect, and misspelled answers are marked wrong.
Is the computer-delivered test scored differently? No. The questions, marking and conversion are the same; only the delivery format changes.