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IELTS band score
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In short: Listening and Reading each have 40 questions and one mark per correct answer; the marks are converted to a band from 0 to 9. According to ielts.org, around 30 correct answers out of 40 is band 7 in Listening and Academic Reading, while General Training Reading needs about 35 for band 7. Your overall band is the average of the four skills, rounded to the nearest half band (6.25 becomes 6.5, 6.75 becomes 7).
Updated 26 October 2026 · Trestle editorial team, Qoodly
Key takeaways
- Listening: about 16/40 = band 5, 23 = band 6, 30 = band 7, 35 = band 8 (ielts.org averages).
- Academic Reading uses the same anchor points; General Training Reading needs more correct answers for the same band.
- Overall band = average of four skills, rounded to the nearest half band; .25 and .75 round up.
Estimate. The marks needed for each band vary slightly between test versions.
How the overall band is rounded
IELTS averages the four skill bands. If the average ends in .25 it goes up to the next half band; if it ends in .75 it goes up to the next whole band. Averages ending in .125 round down and .375 rounds up to .5. The official examples: 6.5, 6.5, 5.0 and 7.0 average 6.25 and give an overall 6.5; 6.5, 6.5, 5.5 and 6.0 average 6.125 and give 6.0.
Listening: correct answers to band
| Correct answers (of 40) | Band |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8 |
| 32–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–31 | 7 |
| 26–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–25 | 6 |
| 18–22 | 5.5 |
| 16–17 | 5 |
| 13–15 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4 |
Academic Reading: correct answers to band
| Correct answers (of 40) | Band |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8 |
| 33–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–32 | 7 |
| 27–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–26 | 6 |
| 19–22 | 5.5 |
| 15–18 | 5 |
| 13–14 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4 |
General Training Reading: correct answers to band
| Correct answers (of 40) | Band |
|---|---|
| 40 | 9 |
| 39 | 8.5 |
| 37–38 | 8 |
| 36 | 7.5 |
| 34–35 | 7 |
| 32–33 | 6.5 |
| 30–31 | 6 |
| 27–29 | 5.5 |
| 23–26 | 5 |
| 19–22 | 4.5 |
| 15–18 | 4 |
ielts.org publishes the average marks for bands 5–8 and notes that the exact number varies slightly between test versions. The full tables above follow those anchor points and the conversion tables widely used in IELTS preparation.
Writing and Speaking bands
Writing and Speaking are scored by examiners against four equally weighted criteria. Writing: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, with Task 2 counting more than Task 1. Speaking: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation.
Questions
What is 30 out of 40 in IELTS Listening?
About band 7. ielts.org gives 30 correct answers as the average mark for band 7 in Listening.
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Reading?
About 30 out of 40 in Academic Reading and about 34–35 out of 40 in General Training Reading.
How is the IELTS overall band score calculated?
Add the four skill bands and divide by four, then round to the nearest half band. Averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band and .75 round up to the next whole band.
Is the band calculator accurate?
It uses the anchor points ielts.org publishes and the standard conversion tables, so it is a reliable estimate. The exact number of marks per band varies slightly between test versions.
Sources
Formats and scores can change. Confirm the details for your test date with the test maker before you book.
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