Your overall IELTS band is the average of your four section bands, Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, rounded to the nearest half band. If the average ends in .25 it rounds up to the next half band, and if it ends in .75 it rounds up to the next whole band. So 6.5, 6.5, 5.0 and 7.0 average 6.25, which becomes an overall 6.5. Enter your scores below to work out your own.
Each of the four sections gets a band from 0 to 9, in whole or half bands. IELTS calculates the overall band as the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band:
These are the worked examples IELTS publishes:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 |
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
The rounding works in your favour at .25 and .75, which is why half a band in a single section can move your overall score. In the first example, Writing at 5.0 pulls the average down to 6.25, which still rounds up to 6.5. Had Writing been 4.5, the average would be 6.125 and the overall band would drop to 6.0.
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions, one mark per question, with no penalty for wrong answers. Your raw score out of 40 is converted to a band. IELTS publishes these reference points, and notes that the exact mark varies slightly between test versions:
| Correct answers (out of 40) | Listening | Academic Reading | General Training Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–16 | Band 5 at 16 | Band 5 at 15 | Band 4 at 15 |
| 23 | Band 6 | Band 6 | Band 5 |
| 30 | Band 7 | Band 7 | Band 6 |
| 35 | Band 8 | Band 8 | Band 7 |
General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band because its texts are less demanding. To see where your own raw score sits, sit a timed IELTS mock test.
Writing and Speaking are marked by certificated examiners against published band descriptors, each with four criteria of equal weight.
| Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2) | Fluency and Coherence |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Lexical Resource |
| Lexical Resource | Grammatical Range and Accuracy |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Pronunciation |
In Writing, each task is assessed separately and Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1. That is why a strong essay matters more than a perfect chart description. See our guides to Writing Task 1, Writing Task 2, Speaking topics and the Speaking band score.
Many organisations set a minimum for each section as well as an overall band, so check both. A few common targets for candidates in Kuwait:
| Goal | Typical requirement |
|---|---|
| UK nursing registration (NMC) | IELTS Academic 7.0 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 6.5 in Writing (NMC) |
| Australian nursing registration (Ahpra) | IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, 6.5 in Writing, 7.0 in the others (Ahpra) |
| Australian visa, Competent English | IELTS 6.0 in each section |
| University study abroad | Usually 6.0 to 7.0 overall, set by each university and course |
Notice that a calculator only tells you the overall band. If your target sets a minimum per section, a 7.0 overall with a 6.0 in Writing can still fall short. Our guide to IELTS band scores explains what each band means, and IELTS results explained shows how to read your Test Report Form.
It is the average of your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands, rounded to the nearest half band. Averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band, and averages ending in .75 round up to the next whole band.
6.5. IELTS rounds an average ending in .25 up to the next half band.
7.0. An average ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
About 30 out of 40, according to the reference points IELTS publishes. The exact mark varies slightly between test versions. Academic Reading also needs about 30 for band 7, while General Training Reading needs about 35.
Yes. IELTS states that Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1, so plan about 40 of your 60 minutes for it.
No. It applies the official rounding rule to the scores you enter, but only your IELTS Test Report Form is an official result.
If the calculator shows you half a band short, the fastest gains usually come from the section furthest below your target. REG Education & Immigration's IELTS course in Kuwait starts with a diagnostic, marks your Writing and Speaking against the official band descriptors, and runs at our Salmiya, Jaleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Mangaf branches and online.
See the IELTS course in Kuwait or contact us to book an assessment.
SalmiyaREG Immigration and Education2nd Floor, Building No. 44,Yusuf, Yousef Al Bader St
Jaleeb Al-ShuyoukhBuilding No. 146, Floor 2,Street 6, Block 4,Near Subway
Mangaf1st Floor, Building No. 90,Street 25, Block 4,Near Green Asia Supermarket
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