Originally published March 2025. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The 9-Band Scale
Every IELTS test result is reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 9. Each band corresponds to a level of English competence:
| Band | Skill Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Expert | Full command of the language. Appropriate, accurate, and fluent with complete understanding. |
| 8 | Very Good | Fully operational command with occasional unsystematic inaccuracies. |
| 7 | Good | Operational command, generally handles complex language well. |
| 6 | Competent | Effective command despite some inaccuracies and misunderstandings. |
| 5 | Modest | Partial command, coping with overall meaning in most situations. |
| 4 | Limited | Basic competence limited to familiar situations. |
| 3 | Extremely Limited | Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. |
| 2 | Intermittent | Great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. |
| 1 | Non-User | No ability to use the language beyond a few isolated words. |
Source: IELTS 9-band scale descriptors, published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
How the Overall Band Score Is Calculated
Your overall score is the arithmetic mean of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest whole or half band. The rounding rule published by IELTS is:
- If the average ends in .25, it rounds up to the next half band.
- If the average ends in .75, it rounds up to the next whole band.
Example: L 7.0 + R 6.5 + W 6.0 + S 7.0 = 26.5 ÷ 4 = 6.625 → rounds to 6.5
Example: L 7.0 + R 7.0 + W 6.5 + S 7.0 = 27.5 ÷ 4 = 6.875 → rounds to 7.0
Listening Score Conversion
Listening has 40 questions. Each correct answer = 1 raw mark. The raw mark maps to a band score:
| Raw Score | Band | Raw Score | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 | 23–25 | 6.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 | 20–22 | 5.5 |
| 35–36 | 8.0 | 16–19 | 5.0 |
| 33–34 | 7.5 | 13–15 | 4.5 |
| 30–32 | 7.0 | 10–12 | 4.0 |
| 27–29 | 6.5 | 6–9 | 3.5 |
Note: These are approximate indicative scores published by the British Council. Actual conversion may vary slightly between test versions.
Reading Score Conversion
Reading also has 40 questions, but the raw-to-band conversion differs between Academic and General Training:
| Band | Academic Raw Score | GT Raw Score |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39–40 | 40 |
| 8.0 | 35–36 | 38–39 |
| 7.0 | 30–32 | 34–35 |
| 6.0 | 23–25 | 27–29 |
| 5.0 | 16–19 | 19–22 |
General Training Reading requires more correct answers per band because the texts are less academically complex.
Writing and Speaking Scoring
Writing and Speaking are assessed by certified IELTS examiners against published band descriptors. Each section is scored on four criteria, each weighted equally at 25%:
| Writing Criteria | Speaking Criteria |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Response | Fluency & Coherence |
| Coherence & Cohesion | Lexical Resource |
| Lexical Resource | Grammatical Range & Accuracy |
| Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Pronunciation |
Source: IELTS Band Descriptors, Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
IELTS to CEFR Mapping
| IELTS Band | CEFR Level |
|---|---|
| 8.5–9.0 | C2 |
| 7.0–8.0 | C1 |
| 5.5–6.5 | B2 |
| 4.0–5.0 | B1 |
Source: IELTS–CEFR mapping, published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Explore Related Resources
- IELTS uses a 9-band scale. Your overall score is the average of four section scores.
- Averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band; .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
- Listening and Reading are scored from raw marks (correct answers out of 40).
- Reading conversion differs between Academic and General Training.
- Writing and Speaking are examiner-assessed on four criteria, each worth 25%.
- IELTS bands map to CEFR levels: Band 7.0 ≈ C1, Band 5.5 ≈ B2.