Understand what every IELTS band score means, how Listening and Reading marks convert to bands, what examiners look for in Writing and Speaking, and which band you need for your goals.
Each skill is scored 0–9. Your overall band is the average of all four sections.
Fully operational command of English with complete accuracy and fluency.
Excellent English with only occasional inaccuracies.
Good command of English with some mistakes and misunderstandings.
Effective communication despite some inaccuracies and limitations.
Partial command of English with frequent errors.
Basic competence in familiar situations only.
Understands only general meaning in familiar contexts.
Great difficulty understanding spoken and written English.
No real ability beyond isolated words.
No assessable information provided.
Applies to both Academic and General Training.
| Correct Answers | Band Score |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8.0 |
| 32–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–31 | 7.0 |
| 26–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–25 | 6.0 |
| 18–22 | 5.5 |
| 16–17 | 5.0 |
| 13–15 | 4.5 |
Scores may vary slightly between test versions.
| Correct Answers | Band Score |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8.0 |
| 33–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–32 | 7.0 |
| 27–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–26 | 6.0 |
| 19–22 | 5.5 |
| 15–18 | 5.0 |
| Correct Answers | Band Score |
|---|---|
| 40 | 9.0 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37–38 | 8.0 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34–35 | 7.0 |
| 32–33 | 6.5 |
| 30–31 | 6.0 |
| 27–29 | 5.5 |
| 23–26 | 5.0 |
Writing is assessed across four criteria. Each criterion carries equal weight.
Measures how well you answer the question.
Measures organization and linking.
Measures vocabulary range and accuracy.
Measures sentence structures and grammar.
Speaking is evaluated live across four criteria by a certified examiner.
| Skill | Score |
|---|---|
| Listening | 7.5 |
| Reading | 7.0 |
| Writing | 6.5 |
| Speaking | 7.0 |
Formula
(7.5 + 7.0 + 6.5 + 7.0) ÷ 4
Overall Band Score
7.0
Common score thresholds for universities, visas, and professional registration.
| Feature | Band 5 | Band 6 | Band 7 | Band 8 | Band 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary | Basic | Adequate | Good | Advanced | Expert |
| Grammar | Frequent errors | Some errors | Mostly accurate | Rare errors | Almost perfect |
| Fluency | Hesitant | Generally fluent | Good fluency | Very fluent | Natural |
| Writing | Limited development | Clear ideas | Well-developed | Sophisticated | Exceptional |
Take a full AI-scored IELTS mock test and see exactly where you stand across all four sections — free to start.