Enter your Listening and Reading scores (out of 40) and your Writing and Speaking bands. The calculator converts your raw scores to bands and works out your overall IELTS band using the official rounding rule. Free, instant, no sign-up.
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How the overall IELTS band is calculated
Your overall band is the average of your four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half band. The rounding rule is the part most people get wrong:
- An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band (6.25 → 6.5).
- An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band (6.75 → 7.0).
- Anything below .25 rounds down; between .25 and .75 becomes .5.
Example: Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.5, Speaking 6.0 → average 6.25 → overall band 6.5.
IELTS Listening and Reading score conversion tables
Listening and Reading are marked out of 40, and the raw score is turned into a band. The tables below are the widely used guide figures; the exact cut-offs can move slightly from one test version to another, so treat any result as an estimate.
Listening (Academic and General Training)
Academic Reading
General Training Reading
General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band, because its texts are easier.
What band do you need?
| Goal | Typical overall band |
|---|---|
| Most undergraduate degrees (UK, Australia, Canada) | 6.0 – 6.5 |
| Postgraduate / competitive universities | 6.5 – 7.5 |
| Nursing and medicine registration | 7.0 – 7.5 in each skill |
| Skilled migration (points systems) | 6.0 – 8.0 (higher = more points) |
Always check the exact requirement with your university, employer or immigration authority: many ask for a minimum in each skill, not just overall.
Frequently asked questions
Is this IELTS band calculator accurate?
The rounding rule is exact. The Listening and Reading conversions use the standard guide tables, which can vary by a question or so between test versions, so your real band may differ by up to half a band.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in Listening?
About 30 out of 40. For band 6 you need about 23, and for band 8 about 35.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in Academic Reading?
About 30 out of 40. General Training Reading needs about 34 for band 7.
How are Writing and Speaking scored?
Examiners give a band from 0 to 9 for each of four criteria (for Writing: Task Achievement/Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy). The four are averaged to give your Writing or Speaking band.
Can my overall band be higher than my lowest skill?
Yes. The overall band is an average, so a strong skill can lift a weaker one. But many institutions also set a minimum for each skill.
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