IELTS Band Score Calculator: Raw Score to Band
Type how many answers you got right out of 40 in Listening, Academic Reading or General Training Reading to see the band. Then add your four module bands to get your overall band score, rounded to the nearest half band the way ielts.org does it: 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0.
Updated October 2026. Rounding rule and raw-mark averages checked on ielts.org on 12 October 2026.
Listening and Reading: raw score to band
Type your correct answers to estimate your band.
Type your correct answers to estimate your band.
Type your correct answers to estimate your band.
Overall band score calculator
How the IELTS overall band is calculated
You receive a band score from 0 to 9 for each of the four modules. Your overall band is the average of those four scores, rounded to the nearest 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. For example, an average of 6.25 becomes an overall band of 6.5, while 6.75 becomes 7.0.
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Watch: IELTS overall band score: how the average is rounded
How IELTS raw scores convert to bands
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions, and every correct answer is worth one mark. Your mark out of 40 is then converted to the 9-band scale in whole and half bands. There is no negative marking, so a wrong answer costs nothing more than a blank one.
ielts.org publishes the average marks for whole bands: Listening, about 16 for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8; Academic Reading, about 15 for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8; General Training Reading, about 15 for band 4, 23 for band 5, 30 for band 6 and 35 for band 7. The half bands in the tables below sit around those anchors. The precise boundaries move slightly from one test version to the next, so treat a score one mark either side of a boundary as borderline.
Academic and General Training Reading are reported on the same scale, but Academic texts are harder, so General Training needs more correct answers for the same band. Listening is the same test for both. Open any score for its own page, for example 30 out of 40 in Listening, 27 out of 40 in Academic Reading or 34 out of 40 in General Training Reading.
Listening
| Raw score (/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 |
| 13–15 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4.0 |
Every score:10111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940
Frequently asked questions
What is 27 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
Estimated band 6.5. On this indicative table, 26 to 29 correct answers in Listening is band 6.5, and band 7.0 usually starts at 30. Exact boundaries vary slightly between test versions.
What is 27 out of 40 in IELTS Reading?
It depends on the module. On this indicative table, Academic Reading 27 is estimated band 6.5; in General Training Reading it is estimated band 5.5, because General Training texts are less demanding, so you need more correct answers for the same band.
How is the IELTS overall band score calculated?
Your overall IELTS band is the average of your four module scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking), rounded to the nearest half band. If the average ends in .25 it is rounded up to the next half band, and if it ends in .75 it is rounded up to the next whole band.
Is 6.25 rounded to 6.5, and 7.25 to 7.5, in IELTS?
Yes. An overall average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, so 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 7.25 becomes 7.5. An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band, so 6.75 becomes 7.0. Anything lower rounds down: 6.125 becomes 6.0.
Can my overall IELTS band be higher than my lowest section score?
Yes. The overall band is an average, so a strong section lifts a weak one: Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.0 and Speaking 7.0 average 6.25, which ielts.org rounds to an overall 6.5. Many universities and visas also set a minimum for each section, so check both numbers.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Listening and Reading?
On average about 30 out of 40 in Listening or Academic Reading, and about 35 out of 40 in General Training Reading, per the averages ielts.org publishes. The exact cut-off moves slightly from one test version to the next.
Does Writing Task 2 count more than Task 1 in the IELTS band score?
Yes. ielts.org says Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to your Writing band. Writing and Speaking are each marked on four equally weighted criteria.
Are IELTS Academic and General Training scored the same way?
The overall band calculation is identical for both. Listening is scored the same for both, but the raw-score to band conversion for Reading differs — General Training Reading requires more correct answers for the same band.
How examiners decide the band
What score does your university ask for?
Practise with free questions and automatically marked answers: IELTS Listening, Academic Reading or General Training Reading. No signup needed. Taking PTE too? Use the PTE to IELTS score converter or read PTE vs IELTS.