Use this free IELTS band score calculator to convert your Listening and Reading raw scores into band scores, then work out your overall band using the official IELTS rounding rules. Conversion tables are based on official Cambridge IELTS guidance.
Move the slider to your number of correct answers out of 40.
Enter your band for each of the four sections.
The number of correct answers (your raw score, out of 40) maps to a band score. Listening and Academic Reading use similar scales; General Training Reading requires more correct answers for the same band because the texts are easier.
| 39–40 | 9.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8.0 |
| 32–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–31 | 7.0 |
| 26–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–25 | 6.0 |
| 18–22 | 5.5 |
| 16–17 | 5.0 |
| 13–15 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4.0 |
| 39–40 | 9.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8.0 |
| 33–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–32 | 7.0 |
| 27–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–26 | 6.0 |
| 19–22 | 5.5 |
| 15–18 | 5.0 |
| 13–14 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4.0 |
| 40 | 9.0 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37–38 | 8.0 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34–35 | 7.0 |
| 32–33 | 6.5 |
| 30–31 | 6.0 |
| 27–29 | 5.5 |
| 23–26 | 5.0 |
| 19–22 | 4.5 |
| 15–18 | 4.0 |
These tables are the widely published approximations based on official British Council and IDP guidance. The exact conversion varies slightly between test versions, so treat your practice-test band as an estimate, not a guarantee.
Your official IELTS Test Report Form prints a CEFR level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) next to your band score. This is how universities, employers and immigration authorities outside the IELTS-using world interpret your result.
| 9.0 | C2 · Proficient (Mastery) |
| 8.5 | C2 · Proficient (Mastery) |
| 8.0 | C1 · Proficient (Effective) |
| 7.5 | C1 · Proficient (Effective) |
| 7.0 | C1 · Proficient (Effective) |
| 6.5 | B2 · Independent (Upper-Intermediate) |
| 6.0 | B2 · Independent (Upper-Intermediate) |
| 5.5 | B2 · Independent (Upper-Intermediate) |
| 5.0 | B1 · Independent (Intermediate) |
| 4.5 | B1 · Independent (Intermediate) |
| 4.0 | B1 · Independent (Intermediate) |
The official IELTS-CEFR alignment covers bands 4.0 through 9.0. Bands below 4.0 are not formally mapped to a CEFR level on the IELTS Test Report Form.
Your overall band is the average of your four section scores — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking — rounded to the nearest whole or half band. The rounding works like this:
• An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band (6.25 → 6.5).
• An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band (6.75 → 7.0).
• Anything else rounds to the nearest half (6.1 → 6.0, 6.4 → 6.5).
Worked example: a candidate scores Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.0 and Speaking 6.0. The total is 25.0, the average is 6.25, and the overall band rounds up to 6.5. Try it in the calculator above. When you're ready to test yourself, practise with free Listening tests, Reading tests, or get AI band-score feedback on Writing tasks.
Your overall band score is the average of your four section scores (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), rounded to the nearest whole or half band. For example, scores of 6.5, 6.5, 6.0 and 6.0 average 6.25, which rounds up to an overall band of 6.5.
No. The exact raw-score-to-band table varies slightly between test versions to keep difficulty consistent. The tables on this page are the widely published approximations based on official British Council and IDP guidance, and are accurate enough for practice.
General Training Reading texts are generally easier than Academic Reading passages, so the threshold for each band is higher. You need more correct answers in General Training to reach the same band.
An average ending in .25 is rounded up to the next half band, and an average ending in .75 is rounded up to the next whole band. So an average of 6.25 becomes 6.5, and an average of 6.75 becomes 7.0.
No. Writing and Speaking are scored by examiners against band descriptors, not from a number of correct answers. Enter your Writing and Speaking band directly into the overall calculator above.
The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) is a six-level language proficiency scale from A1 to C2 used widely in Europe and beyond. IELTS prints your CEFR level next to your band score so institutions that use the CEFR scale can interpret your IELTS result. Bands 4.0 to 9.0 map officially to B1, B2, C1 and C2 — see the mapping table above.
Practise with official Cambridge tests, get instant scoring on Listening and Reading, and AI band-score feedback on your Writing. Two full tests are free, no card required.