How IELTS Band Scores Are Calculated

If you’ve ever wondered “Why did I get a 6.5 instead of a 7?” on your IELTS test, you’re not alone. Understanding how IELTS band scores are calculated is crucial if you're aiming for a specific target, whether it’s for immigration, university admissions, or a job opportunity.

This guide breaks down how your scores are determined in each section — and how they're combined into your overall band score.

What Are IELTS Band Scores?

IELTS scores range from Band 1 (non-user) to Band 9 (expert user). You’ll receive a band score for each of the four skills:

• Listening
• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking

These individual scores are then averaged and rounded to the nearest half-band to form your Overall Band Score.

💡 Example:
Listening: 7.5, Reading: 6.5, Writing: 6.0, Speaking: 7.0
Average = (7.5 + 6.5 + 6.0 + 7.0) ÷ 4 = 6.75 → Rounded up to 7.0 Overall Band Score

📊 IELTS Scoring: Section by Section

Listening & Reading

Both are scored out of 40 questions, and your raw score (number of correct answers) is converted into a band score.

Correct Answers	Band Score (Listening)	Band Score (Reading - Academic)
39–40	9.0	9.0
35–36	8.0	8.0
30–31	7.0	7.0
23–26	6.0	6.0
16–19	5.0	5.0

🔎 Note: The General Training Reading test has slightly different score conversions.

Writing

Writing Task 1 and Task 2 are each scored on four criteria:

1. Task Achievement (TA) – Did you fully address the task?
2. Coherence & Cohesion (CC) – Is your writing well-organized and easy to follow?
3. Lexical Resource (LR) – Range and accuracy of vocabulary
4. Grammatical Range & Accuracy (GRA) – Variety and correctness of grammar

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 9, and then averaged for the final Writing band.

📝 Example:
TA: 7, CC: 7, LR: 6, GRA: 6 → (7 + 7 + 6 + 6) ÷ 4 = 6.5 Writing Band Score

Speaking

The Speaking test is also scored on four criteria:

1. Fluency & Coherence
2. Lexical Resource
3. Grammatical Range & Accuracy
4. Pronunciation

Same as Writing, each is scored from 1 to 9 and then averaged.

🎤 Tip: Even minor pronunciation issues or hesitation can bring your score down, so practice timed speaking tasks.

How Overall Band Scores Are Rounded

The average of your four section scores is rounded as follows:

• Ends in .25 → rounded up to next half band (e.g., 6.25 → 6.5)
• Ends in .75 → rounded up to next whole band (e.g., 6.75 → 7.0)
• Ends in .1 to .24 or .26 to .74 → rounded down to nearest half band

Average Score	Final Overall Band
6.25	6.5
6.1	6.0
6.75	7.0
6.6	6.5

✅ Aim for consistency across all four sections — a very low score in one area can drag your overall score down.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Neglecting one section: All sections weigh equally.
• Guessing the weight of Task 1 vs. Task 2 in Writing: Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1.
• Ignoring band descriptors: Especially in Writing and Speaking, where criteria like coherence, lexical range, and grammar matter.

🧠 Practice Prompts to Self-Evaluate

Try these sample questions and assess yourself using the band descriptors:

• Writing Task 2: "Some people believe that professional workers such as doctors and teachers should be paid more than sports and entertainment personalities. Do you agree or disagree?"
• Speaking Part 2: "Describe a time you had to learn something quickly. What was it? Why did you need to learn it quickly? How did you feel about it?"

👉 Use IELTS official band descriptors or tools like ieltsexam.ai for realistic scoring.

🧭 Plan & Manage Your Preparation Time

Knowing how scoring works is just one part of success. Pair this knowledge with effective preparation:

• 📅 30-Day IELTS Prep Plan
• ⏱️ Time Management Strategies for Each Section

---

🎯 Ready to Boost Your Band Score?

Practice with realistic, examiner-style mock exams for both Academic and General IELTS at 👉 ieltsexam.ai/ielts-mock-tests

Get instant AI feedback, scoring, and sample answers!