How IELTS turns raw marks into bands: Listening and Reading conversion, Writing and Speaking criteria, overall rounding rules and what each band means in CEFR.
Knowing how IELTS calculates your score does two useful things: it tells you how many more correct answers you need for your target, and it shows where examiner-marked sections lose marks. Everything below applies to both IELTS Academic and General Training unless noted.
| Band | Description |
|---|---|
| 9 | Expert user |
| 8 | Very good user |
| 7 | Good user |
| 6 | Competent user |
| 5 | Modest user |
| 4 |
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| Limited user |
| 3 | Extremely limited user |
| 2 | Intermittent user |
| 1 | Non-user |
| 0 | Did not attempt the test |
Both sections have 40 questions, each worth one mark. Your raw score is converted to a band using a table. The tables below show approximate minimum raw scores; exact conversions can vary a little between test versions to keep difficulty fair.
| Band | Listening (both versions) | Academic Reading | General Training Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39 | 39 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37 | 37 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35 | 35 | 37 |
| 7.5 | 32 | 33 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 30 | 30 | 34 |
| 6.5 | 26 | 27 | 32 |
| 6.0 | 23 | 23 | 30 |
| 5.5 | 18 | 19 | 27 |
| 5.0 | 16 | 15 | 23 |
Two things stand out:
Each task is marked against four criteria of equal weight:
| Criterion | Task 1 | Task 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | Covers key features, gives an overview, reports data accurately (Academic); covers all bullet points with the right tone (General Training) | Answers every part of the question, presents a clear position, develops ideas |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Logical organisation, paragraphing, linking | Same |
| Lexical Resource | Range, precision, spelling | Same |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Variety and accuracy of structures | Same |
Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band. Writing below the minimum length (150 words for Task 1, 250 for Task 2) is penalised under Task Achievement or Task Response.
What this means in practice: a Task 1 response without a clear overview, or a Task 2 essay that only answers half of the question, can hold your score down even with good grammar and vocabulary.
The criteria carry equal weight. Pronunciation is about clarity, not accent.
Add your four skill bands, divide by four, and round:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
| 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.75 | 7.0 |
| 8.0 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.25 | 7.5 |
Many universities and organisations also set a minimum band for each skill ("6.5 overall with no band below 6.0"), so the overall alone may not be enough.
Suppose your target is 7.0 overall with no band below 6.5, and your latest full mock gives:
| Skill | Result | Needed | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 28/40 → 6.5 | 6.5+ | Met, but two correct answers short of 7.0 |
| Reading (Academic) | 31/40 → 7.0 | 6.5+ | Met |
| Writing | 6.0 | 6.5+ | Half a band short |
| Speaking | 7.0 | 6.5+ | Met |
Your average is 6.625, which rounds to 6.5 overall, so you miss both conditions. The fastest route is Writing: a 6.5 there would lift the average to 6.75, which rounds up to 7.0 overall, and clear the minimum. Two more correct answers in Listening would raise that section to 7.0 as well and give you a safety margin.
This kind of calculation turns a vague goal ("I need to improve") into a specific one ("I need half a band in Writing and two more Listening answers").
| IELTS band | CEFR level |
|---|---|
| 8.5–9.0 | C2 |
| 7.0–8.0 | C1 |
| 5.5–6.5 | B2 |
| 4.0–5.0 | B1 |
To compare IELTS with other tests through official alignments, use our score converter. If your goal is Canada, remember that IRCC converts IELTS General Training bands to CLB levels skill by skill, using its own table.
The public band descriptors describe each criterion at every band. A few differences that often matter for candidates aiming at 6.5–7.5:
| Criterion | Typical band 6 feature | Typical band 7 feature |
|---|---|---|
| Task Response (Task 2) | Addresses all parts, though some more fully than others; position may become unclear | Addresses all parts; a clear position throughout; main ideas extended and supported |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Arranges information coherently; linking can be faulty or mechanical | Logically organises information with clear progression; a range of cohesive devices used appropriately, with some over- or under-use |
| Lexical Resource | Adequate range; some errors that do not impede communication | Sufficient range for flexibility and precision; some less common vocabulary |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | A mix of simple and complex forms; some errors | A variety of complex structures; frequent error-free sentences |
This is a simplified summary. Read the full public descriptors on the official IELTS website for exact wording.
Every half band is a real step. In Listening, the distance between band 6.0 (about 23 correct) and 7.0 (about 30) is roughly seven questions. In Academic Reading, it is also about seven. For many candidates, that means:
Put together, those gains can be enough to move up a band in a receptive skill. Writing and Speaking usually need targeted feedback on the weakest criterion rather than more of the same practice.
EnglishHub's IELTS Academic simulator follows the real test format, with 50 full mock tests, 200 practice sets and AI feedback on Writing and Speaking. Your first mock is free: take an IELTS Academic mock, or see the IELTS Academic hub.
EnglishHub is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Practice scores are estimates, not official IELTS results.
Your four skill bands are averaged. If the average ends in .25, it rounds up to the next half band; if it ends in .75, it rounds up to the next whole band. For example, 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0. Other averages round to the nearest half band.
In IELTS Academic Reading, band 7 typically needs about 30 correct answers out of 40. In General Training Reading, it needs about 34. The exact conversion can vary slightly between test versions.
Yes. Each Writing task is marked on four criteria that carry equal weight. Task 2 then counts twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band.
IELTS bands 7.0 to 8.0 correspond to CEFR C1. Bands 5.5 to 6.5 correspond to B2, and 8.5 to 9.0 to C2.
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