Average your four section scores into an official overall band
| Band | Descriptor | What it says about you |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Expert user | Full command of the language, appropriate and accurate throughout |
| 8 | Very good user | Complete command with only occasional unsystematic errors |
| 7 | Good user | Operational command with occasional inaccuracies in unfamiliar situations |
| 6 | Competent user | Effective command despite some errors in complex language |
| 5 | Modest user | Partial command, coping with overall meaning in most situations |
| 4 | Limited user | Basic competence limited to familiar situations |
| 3 | Extremely limited user | Conveys and understands only general meaning in familiar situations |
| 2 | Intermittent user | Real communication is impossible except for basic isolated words |
| 1 | Non-user | Essentially no ability to use the language beyond a few words |
| 0 | Did not attempt | No assessable information provided |
Section scores are awarded in half-band steps (6.0, 6.5, 7.0, and so on), so the calculator snaps each entry to the nearest 0.5 before averaging.
| IELTS Band | CEFR Level | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 8.5 – 9.0 | C2 | Rare; near-native academic and professional performance |
| 7.0 – 8.0 | C1 | Competitive postgraduate programs, medicine, law |
| 5.5 – 6.5 | B2 | Most university admissions, professional registration |
| 4.0 – 5.0 | B1 | Foundation programs, some work visas |
| 3.5 and below | Below B1 | Below most academic thresholds |
| Band | Listening (40 q) | Reading Academic (40 q) | Reading General (40 q) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39 – 40 | 39 – 40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37 – 38 | 37 – 38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35 – 36 | 35 – 36 | 37 – 38 |
| 7.5 | 32 – 34 | 33 – 34 | 35 – 36 |
| 7.0 | 30 – 31 | 30 – 32 | 33 – 34 |
| 6.5 | 26 – 29 | 27 – 29 | 30 – 32 |
| 6.0 | 23 – 25 | 23 – 26 | 27 – 29 |
| 5.5 | 18 – 22 | 19 – 22 | 22 – 26 |
| 5.0 | 16 – 17 | 15 – 18 | 18 – 21 |
| 4.5 | 13 – 15 | 13 – 14 | 15 – 17 |
| 4.0 | 10 – 12 | 10 – 12 | 12 – 14 |
These raw-score bands are approximate. Every test form is equated slightly differently, so the same raw score can map to a different band on different test versions. Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners against published band descriptors, not by answer count.
IELTS reports a band score from 0 to 9 for each of the four skills, then combines them into one overall band. The combination is deliberately simple: add the four section scores, divide by four, and round the result to the nearest half band.
This is the part people get wrong. IELTS doesn't round like a calculator. If the average ends in .25, it rounds up to .5. If it ends in .75, it rounds up to the next whole band. Anything else goes to the nearest half band. So 6.25 becomes 6.5, 6.75 becomes 7.0, but 6.125 rounds down to 6.0 because the nearest half band is 6.0. The rule can only ever help you: both of the tie cases round in your favor.
Enter the band score for each section from your Test Report Form. Scores snap to half-band steps, since that's how IELTS awards them. The calculator shows your overall band, the unrounded average underneath it, which rounding rule fired, and where the result sits on the CEFR scale. Practicing with mock tests? Enter your expected section scores to see which combinations clear your target, and read the guide on how IELTS scores are calculated for the full picture.
Say you scored Listening 7.5, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.5. The average is (7.5 + 7.0 + 6.0 + 6.5) ÷ 4 = 6.75. That ends in .75, so it rounds up to an overall 7.0 — a C1 result.
Now a tighter case: 6.5, 6.5, 6.0, 6.0. The average is exactly 6.25, which rounds up to 6.5. And a case where rounding goes the other way: 6.5, 6.0, 5.5, 5.5 averages 5.875. The nearest half band is 6.0, so the overall is 6.0 — no boost, because only .25 and .75 tie-break upward.
Notice what this means strategically. If three sections are locked in at 6.5, a 5.5 in the fourth averages 6.25 and still delivers a 6.5 overall. Half a band in one skill can move your whole result, which is why test-takers target their weakest section in the final weeks of prep.
The overall band is the average of your four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band. Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking carry equal weight. For example, 7.5 + 7.0 + 6.0 + 6.5 averages 6.75, which rounds up to a 7.0 overall.
IELTS rounds averages ending in .25 up to the next half band, and averages ending in .75 up to the next whole band. So 6.25 becomes 6.5 and 6.75 becomes 7.0. This rounding-up rule works in your favor both times it can apply.
No. Overall band scores are only awarded in whole and half bands, so possible overalls end in .0 or .5. Any .25 or .75 in the raw average gets rounded up before it's reported. Section scores themselves also only come in half-band steps.
Band 7.0 is C1 on the Common European Framework. The published alignment runs: 4.0-5.0 is B1, 5.5-6.5 is B2, 7.0-8.0 is C1, and 8.5-9.0 is C2. Band 3.5 and below sits below B1.
A 6.5 overall meets most postgraduate minimums, with 7.0 common at competitive programs and for fields like medicine, law, and teaching. Undergraduate requirements usually sit at 6.0 to 6.5. Many programs also set a per-section minimum, often 6.0 in each skill, so a strong overall can't always rescue a weak Writing score.
No. All four sections carry identical weight in the overall band average, even though Writing and Speaking are marked by examiners while Listening and Reading are marked against answer keys. A 7.0 in Listening lifts your average exactly as much as a 7.0 in Writing.