IELTS Band Score Calculator
Listening
6.0Reading
6.0Writing
6.0Speaking
6.0
Your overall band: 6.0
Your overall band
L 6.0 · R 6.0 · W 6.0 · S 6.0
Your four bands average exactly 6.0, so there is nothing to round.
2 more half bands across your skills would lift it to 6.5.
Band 6.0 in TOEFL, PTE and Duolingo
Universities whose usual requirement your bands meet
| Universities whose usual requirement your bands meet | Undergraduate | Postgraduate |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Most | Some |
| United States | Some | A few |
| Canada | Some | A few |
| Australia | Most | A few |
You're half a band from 6.5.
How your overall band is calculated
Add your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands and divide by four. Each skill counts for a quarter, in Academic and General Training alike.
IELTS then rounds the average to the nearest half band. Section bands are whole or half bands, so the average can end in only these eight ways:
| Average ends in | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| .0 | Stays as it is | 6.0 → 6.0 |
| .125 | Down to the whole band | 6.125 → 6.0 |
| .25 | Up to the half band | 6.25 → 6.5 |
| .375 | Up to the half band | 6.375 → 6.5 |
| .5 | Stays as it is | 6.5 → 6.5 |
| .625 | Down to the half band | 6.625 → 6.5 |
| .75 | Up to the next whole band | 6.75 → 7.0 |
| .875 | Up to the next whole band | 6.875 → 7.0 |
Worked examples
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| B | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 |
| C | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
| D | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.75 | 7.0 |
Working out a band for each skill
Listening and Reading are marked out of 40, and a table turns the score into a band. General Training Reading needs more correct answers than Academic for the same band. Writing and Speaking are marked on four criteria each. Every skill has its own calculator:
What your band means
| Band | Level | CEFR |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | Expert user | C2 |
| 8.5 | Between Very good user and Expert user | C2 |
| 8.0 | Very good user | CEFR C1, borderline C2 |
| 7.5 | Between Good user and Very good user | C1 |
| 7.0 | Good user | C1 |
| 6.5 | Between Competent user and Good user | CEFR B2, borderline C1 |
| 6.0 | Competent user | B2 |
| 5.5 | Between Modest user and Competent user | B2 |
| 5.0 | Modest user | CEFR B1, borderline B2 |
| 4.5 | Between Limited user and Modest user | B1 |
| 4.0 | Limited user | B1 |
What score universities ask for
Most universities ask for 6.0 to 7.0 overall and a minimum in every skill, for example 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my IELTS overall band score?
Add your four section bands, divide by four and round to the nearest half band. For example, 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.0 + 7.0 = 25, and 25 ÷ 4 = 6.25, which rounds up to 6.5. The calculator does this as you type.
Is 6.25 rounded to 6.5 in IELTS?
Yes. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, so 6.25 becomes 6.5. An average of 6.125 rounds down to 6.0.
Is 6.75 converted to 7 in IELTS?
Yes. An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band, so 6.75 becomes 7.0. So does 6.875.
What band is 24, 30 or 32 out of 40?
30 correct is band 7.0 in Listening and Academic Reading, and 6.0 in General Training Reading. 24 correct is 6.0 in Listening and Academic Reading, and 5.0 in General Training. 32 correct is 7.5 in Listening, 7.0 in Academic Reading and 6.5 in General Training. The exact cut-offs vary slightly between test versions.
What are A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 in IELTS?
They are CEFR levels. IELTS maps bands 4.0 to 5.0 to B1, 5.5 to 6.5 to B2, 7.0 to 8.0 to C1, and 8.5 and 9.0 to C2. No IELTS band is mapped to A1 or A2.
How good is IELTS band 7?
Band 7 is a good user on the IELTS scale and CEFR C1. It meets the overall requirement at nearly every university, though some courses, such as medicine or law, ask for more, and many also set a minimum for each skill.
Is 4.5 a good IELTS band?
4.5 sits between a limited and a modest user, CEFR B1. It shows working English in familiar situations, but it is well below what universities ask for: degree programmes usually want 6.0 or more.
Is this calculator official?
No. GoPrep is not affiliated with IELTS. The calculator applies the rounding rule IELTS publishes, so with your real section bands it gives the same overall band as your Test Report Form.
Sources
- IELTS: IELTS scoring in detail
- British Council: Understanding and explaining IELTS scores
- IELTS: IELTS and the CEFR
All accessed on 10 October 2026. GoPrep is not affiliated with IELTS.
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