How is the IELTS band score calculated?

Each test has 40 questions worth 1 mark each, converted to the 9-band scale in whole and half bands. ielts.org publishes the average marks for some bands and says the exact cut-offs vary slightly between test versions (ielts.org). For example, see what 30 out of 40 in Listening usually means.

Examiners score each task on Task achievement (Task 1) or Task response (Task 2), Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resource, and Grammatical range and accuracy. The criteria carry equal weight and each task is scored separately (ielts.org); Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing band (ielts.org Academic Writing).

In plain terms: task achievement or response is whether you answered what was asked, fully and relevantly; coherence and cohesion is how logically your ideas are organised and linked; lexical resource is the range and accuracy of your vocabulary; grammatical range and accuracy is the variety and correctness of your sentences.

Speaking is scored on Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy, and Pronunciation, each weighted equally; the average is your Speaking band (ielts.org). ielts.org links the full public band descriptors as PDFs on the same page.

What the bands mean: ielts.org labels band 9 Expert, 8 Very good, 7 Good, 6 Competent, 5 Modest, 4 Limited, 3 Extremely limited, 2 Intermittent, 1 Non-user and 0 Did not attempt the test.