The learner can explain the 0–9 band scale with half bands and correctly compute an overall band from four section bands.
The band scale and how your score is calculated
Bands from 0 to 9 — and how the overall score works
IELTS scores are reported as bands on a scale from 0 to 9. Scores are given in half-band steps, so you can receive a 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, and so on. There is no pass or fail — the band you need depends entirely on the requirement of your university, employer, or visa authority.
You receive a band for each of the four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. These four section bands are then averaged to produce your Overall Band Score.
The averaging rule is simple: add the four section bands together, divide by four, and round the result to the nearest half band (the nearest whole or half number — for example 6.0, 6.5, 7.0). If the average falls exactly halfway between two of these values — that is, an average ending in .25 or .75 — you round up. For instance, an average of 6.25 rounds up to 6.5, and an average of 6.75 rounds up to 7.0. Averages that are not exactly halfway simply go to whichever whole or half band is closer: 6.125 rounds down to 6.0, and 6.375 rounds to 6.5. In practice, the overall band always ends in .0 or .5.
Worked example: suppose your section bands are Listening 6.5, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.5. The sum is 26.0. Divided by 4 that is 6.5 exactly — so your Overall Band is 6.5.
For Reading and Listening, each correct answer out of 40 contributes to your raw score, which is then converted to a band. However, the exact conversion table varies by test version and is not published. As a rough guide, around 30 correct answers out of 40 corresponds to approximately band 7 in Listening or Reading — but treat this as a ballpark only, not a guaranteed conversion.
Lesson notes
Bands from 0 to 9 — and how the overall score works
IELTS scores are reported as bands on a scale from 0 to 9. Scores are given in half-band steps, so you can receive a 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, and so on. There is no pass or fail — the band you need depends entirely on the requirement of your university, employer, or visa authority.
You receive a band for each of the four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. These four section bands are then averaged to produce your Overall Band Score.
The averaging rule is simple: add the four section bands together, divide by four, and round the result to the nearest half band (the nearest whole or half number — for example 6.0, 6.5, 7.0). If the average falls exactly halfway between two of these values — that is, an average ending in .25 or .75 — you round up. For instance, an average of 6.25 rounds up to 6.5, and an average of 6.75 rounds up to 7.0. Averages that are not exactly halfway simply go to whichever whole or half band is closer: 6.125 rounds down to 6.0, and 6.375 rounds to 6.5. In practice, the overall band always ends in .0 or .5.
Worked example: suppose your section bands are Listening 6.5, Reading 7.0, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.5. The sum is 26.0. Divided by 4 that is 6.5 exactly — so your Overall Band is 6.5.
For Reading and Listening, each correct answer out of 40 contributes to your raw score, which is then converted to a band. However, the exact conversion table varies by test version and is not published. As a rough guide, around 30 correct answers out of 40 corresponds to approximately band 7 in Listening or Reading — but treat this as a ballpark only, not a guaranteed conversion.