You need a 7.0 overall, you scored 6.5 in Writing, and you are wondering whether a good Listening score can make up for it. To answer questions like this, you need to know exactly how IELTS band scores are calculated.
This guide explains the 0 to 9 band scale, how Listening and Reading raw scores become bands, how Speaking and Writing are marked, and how your overall band is rounded. It also shows how to use these rules to plan your preparation.
The IELTS band scale
IELTS reports a band from 0 to 9 for each of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), plus an overall band. Scores can include half bands, such as 6.5 or 7.5.
- Band 9: Expert user
- Band 8: Very good user
- Band 7: Good user
- Band 6: Competent user
- Band 5: Modest user
- Band 4: Limited user
Most universities ask for an overall band between 6.0 and 7.5, often with a minimum in each skill. Always check the exact requirement of your university, employer or visa route.
How Listening and Reading are scored
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions worth one mark each. Your raw score out of 40 is converted to a band. The conversion varies slightly between test versions, but these tables show the commonly used approximate values.
Listening (Academic and General Training)
- 39 to 40 correct: Band 9
- 37 to 38 correct: Band 8.5
- 35 to 36 correct: Band 8
- 32 to 34 correct: Band 7.5
- 30 to 31 correct: Band 7
- 26 to 29 correct: Band 6.5
- 23 to 25 correct: Band 6
- 18 to 22 correct: Band 5.5
- 16 to 17 correct: Band 5
Academic Reading
- 39 to 40 correct: Band 9
- 37 to 38 correct: Band 8.5
- 35 to 36 correct: Band 8
- 33 to 34 correct: Band 7.5
- 30 to 32 correct: Band 7
- 27 to 29 correct: Band 6.5
- 23 to 26 correct: Band 6
- 19 to 22 correct: Band 5.5
- 15 to 18 correct: Band 5
General Training Reading uses a different table, and you need more correct answers for the same band, because its texts are less complex.
How Speaking and Writing are scored
Speaking and Writing are not marked by counting answers. Trained examiners assess them against four criteria, each worth 25%:
- Speaking: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation.
- Writing: Task Achievement or Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
In Writing, Task 2 counts for twice as much as Task 1. So a strong essay matters more than a perfect Task 1 report.
Because each criterion counts equally, your weakest criterion holds your score down. If your vocabulary is at Band 7 but your grammar is at Band 5.5, working on grammar raises your band far faster than learning more words. This is why feedback by criterion, like the AI feedback described in our guides to speaking practice and writing feedback, is so useful.
How the overall band is calculated
Your overall band is the average of your four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half or whole band:
- An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band. For example, 6.25 becomes 6.5.
- An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. For example, 6.75 becomes 7.0.
- Anything below .25 rounds down. For example, 6.125 becomes 6.0.
Worked examples
- Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.0. Total 25.5 ÷ 4 = 6.375, which rounds to 6.5 overall.
- Listening 7.5, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.5, Speaking 7.0. Total 28.0 ÷ 4 = 7.0, so 7.0 overall.
- Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.0. Total 25.0 ÷ 4 = 6.25, which rounds up to 6.5 overall.
How to use this to plan your preparation
Let your strong skills carry your weaker ones
Because of rounding, you do not need your target band in every skill. For 7.0 overall you need an average of at least 6.75, which means a total of 27 across the four skills. Listening 7.5, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.5 and Speaking 6.0 add up to exactly 27, so they give 7.0 overall. Work out which extra half bands are quickest for you to gain.
Do not ignore the minimum in each skill
Many institutions ask for something like “7.0 overall with no skill below 6.5”. A great overall score does not help if one skill is below the minimum, and for many candidates that skill is Writing.
Measure regularly
Take a full practice test every week or two and calculate your overall band using the rules above. Watching the trend tells you whether to keep going or change how you study. Our step-by-step guide to preparing for IELTS with AI shows how to build this into a study plan.
A note on practice scores
Only official IELTS results count. Band scores from practice tests, including AI-estimated scores, are a guide to your level and your progress, not a guarantee of your final result.
Check your band score with AI
IELTSify with AI gives you speaking, writing and listening practice tests with instant band-score estimates, feedback for each criterion and a history of your results, so you always know how close you are to your target.
Download IELTSify with AI free on iPhone or Android:
