IELTS Score Calculator — Band & Raw Score Converter
Use our advanced calculators to estimate your band scores, convert raw marks, and understand your performance across all IELTS sections.
IELTS Band Score Calculator
Calculate your overall and section scores
Enter your expected band scores for each section or use correct answers to calculate listening and reading scores.
Overall Band Score Calculator
Enter your expected scores for each section
Select band scores for all sections
to calculate your overall IELTS Band Score
Listening Score Calculator
Based on correct answers
Select correct answers
Reading Score Calculator
Academic or General Training
Select correct answers
IELTS Listening Score Calculator — Raw to Band
IELTS Listening is marked out of 40, and your raw score converts directly to a band. You need 39 correct for band 9.0, 35 for 8.0, 30 for 7.0, 23 for 6.0 and 16 for 5.0. The same conversion table is used for both Academic and General Training.
The IELTS Listening test is scored out of 40 raw marks (40 questions, one mark each). Listening uses the same conversion table for Academic and General Training — unlike Reading, where the two modules use different scales. Below is the official IELTS Listening raw-to-band table used in 2026.
| Raw score (out of 40) | IELTS Listening band | CEFR equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 | C2 (Mastery) |
| 37–38 | 8.5 | C1 (Advanced) |
| 35–36 | 8.0 | C1 (Advanced) |
| 32–34 | 7.5 | C1 (Advanced) |
| 30–31 | 7.0 | B2 / C1 boundary |
| 26–29 | 6.5 | B2 (Upper Intermediate) |
| 23–25 | 6.0 | B2 (Upper Intermediate) |
| 18–22 | 5.5 | B1 / B2 boundary |
| 16–17 | 5.0 | B1 (Intermediate) |
| 13–15 | 4.5 | B1 (Intermediate) |
| 10–12 | 4.0 | A2 / B1 boundary |
How to use the Listening calculator
Count your correct answers from your most recent IELTS Listening practice paper (out of 40), then read across the table — that's your band score. The Listening table is identical for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Spelling counts: a Listening answer with a misspelt word is marked wrong even if you heard it correctly.
Practise with auto-scored Listening papers
Skip the manual lookup — take a free IELTS Listening practice test on this site. Each paper auto-grades the moment you submit and shows the band-score result using the table above.
Start a free Listening test →Conversion thresholds reflect the IELTS Listening raw-to-band mapping published by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge English Language Assessment for the 2026 test cycle. For the marks needed for every band and a section-by-section breakdown, see the dedicated IELTS Listening band score guide.
IELTS Reading Score Calculator — Raw to Band (Academic & General Training)
IELTS Reading is marked out of 40, but Academic and General Training use different conversion tables. In Academic Reading you need about 30 correct for band 7.0 and 23 for band 6.0. General Training texts are easier, so the same bands need about 34 and 30 correct respectively.
IELTS Reading is also marked out of 40. Unlike Listening, the two modules use different conversion tables: General Training reading texts are easier, so you need more correct answers for the same band. Both official 2026 tables are below.
| Academic Reading band | Raw score (out of 40) |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39–40 |
| 8.5 | 37–38 |
| 8.0 | 35–36 |
| 7.5 | 33–34 |
| 7.0 | 30–32 |
| 6.5 | 27–29 |
| 6.0 | 23–26 |
| 5.5 | 19–22 |
| 5.0 | 15–18 |
| 4.5 | 13–14 |
| 4.0 | 10–12 |
| General Training Reading band | Raw score (out of 40) |
|---|---|
| 9.0 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 37–38 |
| 7.5 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 34–35 |
| 6.5 | 32–33 |
| 6.0 | 30–31 |
| 5.5 | 27–29 |
| 5.0 | 23–26 |
| 4.5 | 19–22 |
| 4.0 | 15–18 |
Reading thresholds follow the indicative raw-to-band mapping published by the British Council and IDP IELTS; exact boundaries can vary slightly between individual test versions. For a side-by-side Academic vs General Training breakdown and the marks needed for every band, see the dedicated IELTS Reading band score guide.
What band is 37 out of 40 in IELTS?
In IELTS Listening, 37 out of 40 is band 8.5, 30 out of 40 is band 7.0 and 23 out of 40 is band 6.0. In Academic Reading the same raw scores give band 8.5, 7.0 and 6.0, while General Training Reading needs more correct answers for each band.
Use the row for the number of questions you answered correctly. Every band below is produced by the same conversion the calculator above uses, for all three papers side by side.
| Raw score | Listening band | Academic Reading band | General Training Reading band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 / 40 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| 37 / 40 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| 35 / 40 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| 32 / 40 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 |
| 30 / 40 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 |
| 28 / 40 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 |
| 26 / 40 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| 23 / 40 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| 20 / 40 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 4.5 |
| 16 / 40 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
How does your raw score compare?
Across 518 anonymised IELTS Listening attempts on this site, the average raw score was 15 out of 40, which converts to band 4.5. Only about 3% of attempts reached 30 or more (band 7.0 and above), and roughly 1% reached 35 or more (band 8.0+). If you are scoring in the mid-20s you are already ahead of most people practising, and the jump from 23 to 30 correct is worth a full band.
How your IELTS overall band score is calculated
Your IELTS overall band is the average of your four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band and .75 rounds up to the next whole band, so 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0.
Your overall band score is the average of your four section bands (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking), rounded to the nearest whole or half band. The rounding rule catches most people out:
- 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).
- Averages ending in .125 or .375 round to the nearest half band as normal.
Rounding is also why your overall band can stay the same even when one section improves. For the questions candidates ask most about scores, validity and retakes, see our IELTS FAQ guide.
Worked example
Listening 6.5, Reading 6.0, Writing 5.5, Speaking 7.0 → the average is (6.5 + 6.0 + 5.5 + 7.0) ÷ 4 = 6.25, which rounds up to an overall band of 6.5. Use the calculator above to try your own four section scores instantly.
IELTS score calculator — frequently asked questions
How is the IELTS overall band score calculated?+
Add your four section band scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) and divide by four. The average is rounded to the nearest whole or half band: a .25 average rounds up to the next half band and a .75 average rounds up to the next whole band — so 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0.
Is the Listening band score table the same for Academic and General Training?+
Yes. IELTS Listening uses one raw-to-band conversion table for both Academic and General Training. Only the Reading section uses different tables for the two modules.
How many questions do I need correct for band 7 in IELTS Reading?+
In Academic Reading you need about 30 out of 40 correct for band 7. General Training Reading texts are easier, so you need about 34 out of 40 for the same band 7.
Why does General Training Reading need more correct answers than Academic?+
General Training Reading passages are less demanding, so IELTS sets a higher raw-score threshold per band to keep the bands comparable. For example, band 6 needs 30/40 in General Training but only 23/40 in Academic Reading.
What raw score do I need for band 8 in IELTS Listening?+
You need 35–36 correct answers out of 40 for Listening band 8.0, 37–38 for band 8.5, and 39–40 for band 9.0. The same thresholds apply to Academic and General Training.
What band is 37 out of 40 in IELTS?+
37 out of 40 is band 8.5 in IELTS Listening and band 8.5 in Academic Reading. In General Training Reading the same 37 correct answers give band 8.0, because General Training texts are easier and the thresholds are set higher.
What band is 28 out of 40 in IELTS?+
28 out of 40 is band 6.5 in IELTS Listening and band 6.5 in Academic Reading. In General Training Reading 28 correct answers give band 5.5. Band 6.5 is the entry requirement for many universities, so 28/40 is a common target in Listening.
What band is 30 out of 40 in IELTS?+
30 out of 40 is band 7.0 in IELTS Listening and band 7.0 in Academic Reading. In General Training Reading the same 30 correct answers give band 6.0, because General Training texts are easier and the thresholds are set higher.
What is an average IELTS Listening raw score?+
Across 518 anonymised IELTS Listening attempts on this site, the average raw score was 15 out of 40, which converts to band 4.5. Only about 3% of attempts reached 30 or more correct answers (band 7.0 and above), so a score in the mid-20s already puts you ahead of most people practising.
Conversion tables and guidance reviewed and updated on against the raw-to-band mapping published by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge English Language Assessment for the 2026 test cycle.