From the makers of Lexicon, an IELTS practice app with AI marking
IELTS band score calculator, with the rounding shown
Each of the four IELTS papers gets a band, and the overall band is the average of the four rounded to the nearest half. This calculator shows the average before rounding and the overall it becomes. Listening and Reading are converted from your number of correct answers using the tables further down the page.
Overall band
7.0
The four bands average 6.75, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
- CEFR, approximate
- C1
- CLB
- shown for General Training only, the test Canada requires for immigration
- To reach 7.5
- your four bands need to add up to 29.0; they add up to 27.0 now
Listening and Reading use the commonly published raw-score tables, which are approximate; IELTS does not release the table for each test version. This is an estimate, not an official IELTS score. This calculator and Lexicon are not affiliated with or endorsed by the IELTS partners. IELTS is a registered trade mark of the IELTS partners.
In one line. Enter how many answers you got right in Listening and Reading, then pick your Writing and Speaking bands. The overall band appears on the right, with the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level used for immigration to Canada and the CEFR level that universities and visa rules often quote.
How the overall band is worked out
- 1
Listening and Reading bands come from your correct answers
Each paper has 40 questions and each correct answer is one mark. Your total out of 40 is turned into a band with a conversion table. Listening, Academic Reading and General Training Reading each have their own table, and General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band.
- 2
Writing and Speaking bands come from an examiner
An examiner marks four aspects of what you wrote or said, such as vocabulary, grammar and how well you answered the task, and gives a band from 0 to 9 in half steps. For this calculator, enter the band from your test report, or an estimated band from a teacher or a practice app.
- 3
The four bands are averaged
Add the four bands and divide by four. The average often lands between half bands. For example, 6.0, 6.0, 6.0 and 6.5 average 6.125.
- 4
The average is rounded to the nearest half band
An average of 6.25 rounds to 6.5, and 6.75 rounds to 7.0. An average of 6.125 rounds to 6.0. This is the rule IELTS publishes.
- 5
CLB is read from each of the four bands, not the overall
For immigration to Canada, IRCC converts each General Training band to a Canadian Language Benchmark level separately. Points are awarded per skill and programs set a minimum for each skill, so check all four. The calculator shows all four and the lowest.
- 6
CEFR is read from the overall
IELTS publishes an approximate comparison to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a six-level scale from A1 to C2 that many universities and visa rules quote. The calculator shows the level for your overall band.
The conversion tables
These are the tables most preparation sites publish and the ones the Lexicon app uses, for a 40-question paper. IELTS does not publish the exact table for each test version, and the number of correct answers needed can vary between versions. IDP's own published table differs by a question in a couple of rows, for example band 8 in General Training Reading at 37 rather than 38.
| Band | Listening | Academic Reading | General Training Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39 to 40 | 39 to 40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37 to 38 | 37 to 38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35 to 36 | 35 to 36 | 38 |
| 7.5 | 32 to 34 | 33 to 34 | 36 to 37 |
| 7.0 | 30 to 31 | 30 to 32 | 34 to 35 |
| 6.5 | 26 to 29 | 27 to 29 | 32 to 33 |
| 6.0 | 23 to 25 | 23 to 26 | 30 to 31 |
| 5.5 | 18 to 22 | 19 to 22 | 27 to 29 |
| 5.0 | 16 to 17 | 15 to 18 | 23 to 26 |
| 4.5 | 13 to 15 | 13 to 14 | 19 to 22 |
| 4.0 | 10 to 12 | 10 to 12 | 15 to 18 |
General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band because its passages are less demanding. Thirty correct answers is usually a 7.0 in Academic Reading and a 6.0 in General Training Reading.
How the rounding works
The overall band is the average of the four rounded to the nearest half. At the quarter points it rounds up:
- An average ending in .25 rounds up. 6.0, 6.0, 6.5 and 6.5 average 6.25, which becomes 6.5.
- An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. 7.0, 7.0, 6.5 and 6.5 average 6.75, which becomes 7.0.
An average already on a half band stays as it is: 7.0, 6.5, 6.5 and 6.0 average exactly 6.5. An extra half band in one paper raises the overall when it takes the average to a quarter point or beyond. The calculator shows the average before rounding.
CLB for Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) converts IELTS General Training bands to Canadian Language Benchmark levels, one per skill. Each cell is the minimum band for that level:
| CLB | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 or above | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Express Entry awards language points for each skill separately, and each program sets a minimum that every skill must meet, so check all four against your program rather than the overall band. For Express Entry, IELTS applicants must take the General Training test. Check the current IRCC page for your program before you book.
CEFR
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is a six-level scale from A1 to C2 that many universities and visa rules use to state a language requirement. IELTS publishes an approximate comparison: 8.5 to 9.0 is C2, 7.0 to 8.0 is C1, 5.5 to 6.5 is B2, and 4.0 to 5.0 is B1. IELTS marks 5.0, 6.5 and 8.0 as borderline scores, where many people are working at the level above. If a university or visa route states its requirement in CEFR terms, check its own page for the IELTS band it accepts, since it may also set a minimum in each skill.
Getting bands for Writing and Speaking
Listening and Reading you can mark yourself from an answer key. Writing and Speaking need someone to mark them. We make Lexicon, an iPhone app for IELTS practice. You write a timed Writing task or sit a full Speaking interview in the app, and it gives you feedback on each of the four marking criteria and an estimated band. An estimate from an AI can differ from an examiner's band, so treat the overall you get from it as an estimate as well. You can also enter different bands here to see what a half band more in any one paper would do to the overall.
This calculator and Lexicon are not affiliated with or endorsed by the IELTS partners. IELTS is a registered trade mark of the IELTS partners.
Frequently asked questions
How is the IELTS overall band calculated?
Average the four paper bands and round to the nearest half band. If the average ends in .25 it rounds up to .5, and if it ends in .75 it rounds up to the next whole band. So 6.5, 6.5, 6.0 and 7.0 average 6.5, while 7.0, 7.0, 6.5 and 6.5 average 6.75, which becomes 7.0.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in Listening?
Usually about 30 out of 40. Academic Reading usually needs about 30 as well. General Training Reading usually needs about 34, because its passages are less demanding and the table asks for more correct answers at each band.
Is the conversion table on this page official?
No. IELTS does not publish the exact table for each test version, and the number of correct answers needed can vary a little between versions. The tables here are the ones most preparation sites publish and the ones the Lexicon app uses. IDP's own published table differs by a question in a couple of rows.
What IELTS score is CLB 9?
Listening 8.0, Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0 and Speaking 7.0, on the General Training test. CLB is worked out per skill, so a 6.5 means CLB 8 in Reading, Writing or Speaking, but CLB 7 in Listening.
What is band 6.5 in CEFR?
IELTS shows 6.5 as B2 on its comparison, and notes that many people at 6.5 are working at C1. The comparison is approximate, and 5.0, 6.5 and 8.0 are the three scores IELTS marks as borderline.
Can this calculator predict my real score?
It works out the overall from the four bands you enter, so it is only as accurate as those. Listening and Reading you can mark yourself from an answer key. For Writing and Speaking you need someone to mark you, and a practice band from a teacher or an app like Lexicon is an estimate, so the overall you get from it is an estimate too.
Lexicon
Take a timed IELTS Speaking or Writing test on your phone and get it marked in minutes, criterion by criterion, with a band and a range. All four papers, a study plan from your target band and test date, and 792 word sets.
Free to try · then Pro · iOS 18 or later · an estimate, not an official score