Listening and Academic Reading conversion
Approximate conversion from correct answers to bands, as commonly published. The exact table varies slightly between test versions.
| Band | Listening (correct /40) | Academic Reading (correct /40) |
|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39–40 | 39–40 |
| 8.5 | 37–38 | 37–38 |
| 8.0 | 35–36 | 35–36 |
| 7.5 | 32–34 | 33–34 |
| 7.0 | 30–31 | 30–32 |
| 6.5 | 26–29 | 27–29 |
| 6.0 | 23–25 | 23–26 |
| 5.5 | 18–22 | 19–22 |
| 5.0 | 16–17 | 15–18 |
| 4.5 | 13–15 | 13–14 |
| 4.0 | 10–12 | 10–12 |
| 3.5 | 8–9 | 8–9 |
| 3.0 | 6–7 | 6–7 |
| 2.5 | 4–5 | 4–5 |
How the overall band is calculated
The overall band is the average of the four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. For example, 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.0 + 7.0 = 25 ÷ 4 = 6.25, reported as 6.5.
How Writing and Speaking are scored
Writing is marked on four equally weighted criteria: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Task 2 counts for twice as much as Task 1. Speaking is marked on Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Official band descriptors are published on ielts.org.
Frequently asked questions
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Reading?
About 30 out of 40 in Academic Reading and about 30 out of 40 in Listening, using the commonly published tables.
How many correct answers for band 8 and band 9?
Roughly 35 out of 40 for band 8 and 39 out of 40 for band 9 in both Listening and Academic Reading.
Is General Training Reading converted the same way?
No. General Training Reading uses a different, stricter conversion. This calculator is for IELTS Academic.
How is 6.75 rounded?
An average of 6.75 rounds up to 7.0. An average of 6.25 rounds up to 6.5, and 6.1 rounds down to 6.0.
Practise in the real test format
DMATBLAZE has 20 full IELTS Academic mock tests: Listening (4 parts, 40 questions), Reading (3 passages, 40 questions, 60 minutes), Writing Task 1 and 2, and a 3-part Speaking test, with band estimates and analytics that show which question types cost you marks. Full Mock 1 is free.
More guides: IELTS mock test · Band score calculator · Writing Task 2 samples · Speaking cue cards · Speaking Part 1 questions · Listening practice test · Reading practice test · True/False/Not Given · Writing Task 1 samples · IELTS for German universities