IELTS Score Calculator

You will be given an overall band score and a band score from 1 (the lowest) to 9 (the highest) for each section of the test.

This IELTS Band Score Calculator can help you arrive at the overall band score you desire. Simply write in your preferred score from 0 to 9 for each component, and to generate the overall band you will be scored.

The IELTS test comprises four components: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking, each of which is scored on a scale of 0-9. 0 is the lowest score, and 9 is the highest. Your scores from each component are averaged to give you an overall band score. The overall band score is rounded to the nearest half band.

IELTS band scores measure a test taker's English proficiency across Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking components, with 0.5 increments. The IELTS band score chart helps you estimate your IELTS score. Each component is weighted equally, and the overall score is an average of the four, rounded to the nearest half or whole band. So, for example, a 6.25 average will become 6.5.

IELTS Band Rounding Rules Explained

The sum of the four is divided by four and rounded to the nearest whole or half band. If the average score ends in .25 or higher, it is rounded up to the next half band. If the average ends in .75 or higher, it is rounded up to the next whole band. If your average score ends in a fraction below .25 or .75, it is rounded down to the nearest half or whole band, respectively.

Quick Examples:

• 6.25 → 6.5

• 6.75 → 7.0

Listening

The IELTS Listening component contains 40 questions. Test takers answer 40 questions that relate to audio clips that are played to them. The answers are either correct or incorrect, so the marking is a little different from the Speaking and Writing tests. Each correctly answered question is awarded one mark, making 40 the maximum score that can be achieved. A band score ranging from band 1 to band 9 is awarded on the basis of your score.

Watch this video for more information.

Reading

The IELTS Reading test contains 40 questions. Each correctly answered question is awarded one mark; so, the maximum raw score you can achieve is 40. A band score ranging from band 1 to band 9 is then awarded on the basis of your raw score. This component requires you to answer a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, True/False/Not Given, matching, or sentence completion. Answers are either correct or incorrect, so the marking is a little different from the Speaking and Writing components. You receive one mark for each correct answer, with the total number of marks determining your band score.

Watch this video for more information.

Writing

The IELTS Writing Band descriptors can help you understand how an examiner will assess your Writing Task 1 and Task 2 responses. This component is marked by qualified IELTS examiners who are intensively trained and monitored to ensure consistency and quality of marking, no matter where in the world your test is taken. Your response is scored in the areas of task achievement (for Writing Task 1) or Task response (for Writing Task 2); coherence and cohesion; lexical resource; and grammatical range and accuracy.

Watch this video for more information.

Speaking

The IELTS Speaking band descriptors can help you understand how an examiner will assess you during the Speaking test. This component is like a conversation you would have in everyday life. Test takers sit in a quiet room with a qualified examiner who will engage them in a conversation. Speaking skills are marked against several criteria, including fluency and coherence, pronunciation, accuracy, lexical resource, and grammatical range.

Watch this video for more information.

Example 1: Simple IELTS Score Calculation

Here’s what your overall score looks like with an average of around 6 in each component.

Example 2: Higher Band Scenario

Here’s what your overall score looks like when you start to score a higher band in some components.

Example 3: Borderline Band Case

Here’s what your overall score looks like when you have very minor differences in scores for each component.