What IELTS band is B1, B2, C1 or C2?

The bands are overall bands, not the separate Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands. ielts.org says IELTS is not a level-based test and uses a 9-band scale, so there is no one-to-one match with CEFR levels, and the chart should not be read as a claim of exact equivalence (ielts.org).

Its practical advice: an institution that needs high confidence an applicant is at C1 may want to ask for 7 rather than 6.5. Institutions already happy with their IELTS requirements do not need to change them, because the test and what each band represents have not changed.

Summarised from the Council of Europe's global scale, which groups the six levels into basic, independent and proficient users.

UK visas state English requirements as CEFR levels, and UKVI's list of approved tests sets the minimum for each. These are pass marks per level, required in every skill, not a conversion.

Student visa: B2 for degree level or above, where your university may assess your English itself, and B1 below degree level (gov.uk). Skilled Worker visa: at least B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. If you held this visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating it, the level is B1 and you do not need to prove it again (gov.uk).

Family visa as a partner or parent: at least A1 for the first application, A2 in speaking and listening to extend after 2.5 years if you passed A1, and a B1 or higher pass can be reused for settlement after 5 years (gov.uk). Life Skills tests only speaking and listening; see IELTS Life Skills and IELTS for UKVI vs IELTS Academic.

For Cambridge exams with CEFR grades, see Cambridge English to IELTS; for several tests side by side, the English test score comparison; and for PTE, the PTE to IELTS converter.