Your IELTS overall band is the average of your four section bands, 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 Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 5.0 and Speaking 7.0 add up to 25.0, average 6.25 and give an overall band of 6.5.
Choose Academic or General Training, then enter your four bands. If you have practice test marks instead, switch to correct answers and type your Listening and Reading scores out of 40. Set a target band to see what you still need in one section, which helps when you plan a One Skill Retake. Booking a test? See the IELTS fee in Pakistan at British Council and IDP.
IELTS Listening and Reading score to band
Listening and Reading each have 40 questions, one mark per correct answer. The table gives the number of correct answers for each band. Academic and General Training Reading use different tables. Academic texts can be harder in vocabulary and style, so General Training needs more correct answers for the same band.
| Band | Listening | Academic Reading | General Training Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 39 to 40 | 39 to 40 | 40 |
| 8.5 | 37 to 38 | 37 to 38 | 39 |
| 8.0 | 35 to 36 | 35 to 36 | 37 to 38 |
| 7.5 | 32 to 34 | 33 to 34 | 36 |
| 7.0 | 30 to 31 | 30 to 32 | 34 to 35 |
| 6.5 | 26 to 29 | 27 to 29 | 32 to 33 |
| 6.0 | 23 to 25 | 23 to 26 | 30 to 31 |
| 5.5 | 18 to 22 | 19 to 22 | 27 to 29 |
| 5.0 | 16 to 17 | 15 to 18 | 23 to 26 |
| 4.5 | 13 to 15 | 13 to 14 | 19 to 22 |
| 4.0 | 11 to 12 | 10 to 12 | 15 to 18 |
| 3.5 | Not listed | 8 to 9 | 12 to 14 |
| 3.0 | Not listed | 6 to 7 | 9 to 11 |
| 2.5 | Not listed | 4 to 5 | Not listed |
IELTS calls these conversions approximate: the marks needed for a band vary slightly from one test version to another. IELTS's own guide gives the average marks at four bands, for example 30 correct answers for band 7 in Listening and 30 for band 6 in General Training Reading, and the table above agrees with those figures. Below the last row no band is published, so use the band on your result.
IELTS overall band rounding rules with examples
Four half bands always add up to a total that divides by 4 into a whole number or a number ending in .125, .25, .375, .5, .625, .75 or .875. This is what happens to each ending.
| Listening + Reading + Writing + Speaking | Average | Overall band | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 + 6.0 + 5.5 + 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | Already a whole or half band |
| 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.5 + 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 | Down to the nearest whole or half band (IELTS example) |
| 6.5 + 6.5 + 5.0 + 7.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 | Ends in .25: up to the next half band (IELTS example) |
| 7.0 + 6.5 + 6.0 + 6.0 | 6.375 | 6.5 | Up to the nearest whole or half band |
| 7.0 + 6.5 + 6.0 + 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | Already a whole or half band |
| 7.0 + 7.0 + 6.0 + 6.5 | 6.625 | 6.5 | Down to the nearest whole or half band |
| 7.5 + 7.0 + 6.0 + 6.5 | 6.75 | 7.0 | Ends in .75: up to the next whole band |
| 4.0 + 3.5 + 4.0 + 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 | Up to the nearest whole or half band (IELTS example) |
In short, .125 rounds down, .25 and .375 go to the half band, .625 comes down to the half band, and .75 and .875 go up to the next whole band. A half band in one section can therefore move your overall band by half a band, or not at all.
Worked examples
From practice test marks, Academic. Listening 30 correct is band 7.0 and Academic Reading 27 correct is band 6.5. With Writing 6.0 and Speaking 6.0 the total is 25.5. Divided by 4 that is 6.375, which is closest to 6.5, so the overall band is 6.5.
The band you need for 7 overall. Listening 7.5, Reading 7.0 and Speaking 7.0 total 21.5. Writing 5.5 brings the average to 6.75, which ends in .75 and rounds up to 7.0. Writing 5.0 would give 6.5. The overall band is not the whole story, though: many courses and visa routes also set a minimum for each section.
General Training for Canada. Listening 30 correct is band 7.0 and General Training Reading 34 correct is band 7.0. The same 34 in Academic Reading would be 7.5. With Writing 6.5 and Speaking 7.0 the overall band is 7.0. Under IRCC's table that is CLB 7 in Listening, CLB 9 in Reading, CLB 8 in Writing and CLB 9 in Speaking. IRCC looks at each ability, so the lowest, CLB 7, is the level that meets or misses a requirement.
IELTS to CLB for Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) gives the lowest IELTS General Training band for each Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level. Your CLB is set separately for each ability.
| CLB level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 | 8.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| CLB 9 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| CLB 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| CLB 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| CLB 6 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| CLB 5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CLB 4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Express Entry accepts IELTS General Training only, not Academic, and does not accept One Skill Retake results. CLB 7, for example, needs 6.0 in Listening, 6.0 in Reading, 6.0 in Writing and 6.0 in Speaking, while CLB 9 needs 8.0 in Listening but 7.0 in Reading.
Your Test Report Form is the official score. The overall band is always worked out from your four section bands, never from raw marks. Correct answers from a practice test give an estimate only, because IELTS adjusts the conversion slightly for each test version. Writing and Speaking bands are set by examiners against the IELTS assessment criteria, so they cannot be calculated from marks.
Questions people ask
How is the IELTS overall band score calculated?
Add your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking bands and divide by 4. Round the result to the nearest half band, with .25 rounding up to the next half band and .75 up to the next whole band. For example 6.5, 6.5, 5.0 and 7.0 total 25, average 6.25 and give 6.5 overall.
Is 6.25 rounded to 6.5 in IELTS?
Yes. An average ending in .25 always rounds up to the next half band, so 6.25 becomes 6.5. An average of 6.75 rounds up to 7.0. An average of 6.125 rounds down to 6.0, and 6.375 or 6.625 go to 6.5.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in Listening?
About 30 out of 40. The published table gives band 7 for 30 to 31 correct, 7.5 for 32 to 34 and 8 for 35 to 36. In Academic Reading band 7 is 30 to 32 correct, and in General Training Reading 34 to 35. The exact number can differ by a mark or so between test versions.
What is the difference between Academic and General Training Reading scores?
Both have 40 questions and use the same band scale, but General Training needs more correct answers for the same band. 30 correct is band 7.0 in Academic Reading but 6.0 in General Training. Listening, Writing and Speaking are scored the same way in both tests.
What IELTS band do universities and UK visas ask for?
Each university, course and visa route sets its own requirement, usually an overall band plus a minimum in each section. For a UK visa that asks for a Secure English Language Test, take IELTS for UKVI. Check the exact bands on the course page or visa guidance, then set them as your target here.
How do I convert IELTS to CLB?
Use IRCC's table for IELTS General Training. Find the highest CLB level whose band you meet in each ability separately. For example Listening 7.5, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.5 and Speaking 6.5 is CLB 8. Academic results cannot be converted for Express Entry.
Can I get my overall band from raw scores?
Only after turning each raw score into a band. Listening and Reading marks out of 40 convert to bands through the tables above, and the overall band is then the rounded average of the four bands. Adding up marks out of 40 does not give an IELTS score.
Last reviewed 8 November 2026. Results are estimates; official notices always take precedence.