How is IELTS scored? How is the band score calculated?
Facts last checked against official sources on October 7, 2026.
Short answer
Each IELTS section is scored from 0 to 9 in half bands. The overall band is the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest half band: an average ending in .25 goes up to .5 and .75 goes up to the next whole band. In Listening and Reading the number correct out of 40 is converted to a band.
Correct answers and bands
The official examples are roughly 16 correct for band 5, 23 for 6, 30 for 7 and 35 for 8 in Listening and Reading. Academic and General Training reading use different tables.
Writing and speaking
Writing and speaking are marked by examiners against criteria: task response, coherence, lexical range and grammatical accuracy (plus pronunciation in speaking).
Sources
Dates and rules can change. Check the organiser’s official page before you apply; that page is binding.
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