IELTS Band Score Calculation – Calculating General and Academic Band Scores

Updated On Aug 03, 2021

IELTS Band Score Calculation – Calculating General and Academic Band Scores

Contents

1 IELTS Section – Time allotted and no. of questions
- 1.1 Resources to help you score better in IELTS Writing
- 1.2 Resources to help you score better in IELTS Speaking

Those of you who are busy applying for foreign universities must have come across this term frequently when reading the English Language requirements.

For instance: IELTS Academic [ 7] with no band less than 6.5

Let’s decipher this.

In IELTS, be it Academic or General, there are four sections. They are:

Listening
Reading
Writing
Speaking

IELTS Section – Time allotted and no. of questions

It is compulsory to attempt all four sections. The listening test is for 30 minutes + 10 minutes [to transfer answers in a paper-based exam]. Reading and Writing tests are for an hour. Speaking is for 14- 15 minutes.

Let’s see the maximum marks for each section.

Listening test – 40 questions
Reading Test – 40 questions
Writing test – 2 tasks
Speaking – Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

You will get a score for each section. These are called individual band scores. The average of the four is called the overall band score.

Going back to our question, IELTS Academic [ 7] with no band less than 6.5 means, the average of all the scores must be a 7.0.

Modules	Scoring	Band Achieved
Listening	31/40	Band 7
Reading	37/40	Band 8.5
Writing	Based on band descriptors	Band 6.5
Speaking	Based on band descriptors	Band 6.5

So the average will be (7.0+8.5+6.5+6.5 / 4) = 28.5 / 4 = 7.125 = Band 7.0 -> Qualified

If the band scores are like this :

Modules	Scoring	Band Achieved
Listening	31/40	Band 7
Reading	37/40	Band 8.5
Writing	Based on band descriptors	Band 6.5
Speaking	Based on band descriptors	Band 6.0

So the average will be (7.0+8.5+6.5+6.0 / 4) = 28 / 4 = 7.0 = Band 7.0 → But disqualified because it is Band 6.0 in Speaking

Learn the nuances in Band score calculations:

Whole band scores : 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 are called whole band scores

0.5 band scores: 4.5, 7.5, 8.5 are called 0.5 band scores

You will be assigned a band score based on how near it is to a particular whole band score or a 0.5 band score

Band score	Nearest to the whole band or 0.5 band	Rounded of a band score
7.1	Whole band 7.0	7.0
5.78	Whole band 6.0	6.0
7.25 ( Call yourself lucky!!)	Near to both whole band 7.0 and 0.5 band 7.5	Luckily marked as 7.5

Listening and Speaking are assessed in the same way for IELTS Academic and General. Reading and Writing vary.

Resources to help you score better in IELTS Writing

Resources to help you score better in IELTS Speaking

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the IELTS test band score calculated?

The IELTS test band score will be calculated after taking the mean score of the 4 sections that you’ve attempted (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking), and then the overall band score will be rounded off to the nearest whole or half band.

What is a good score for IELTS?

Each IELTS test is graded on a 9-band scale (1 being the lowest and 9 being the highest). It’s important to keep in mind that there is no pass or fail in IELTS and you should check for the score that is required depending on the institution/organization for which you plan to apply for.

How is the IELTS band score calculated for the Reading test?

For the Reading test, there’ll be 40 questions, and you’ll receive one mark for each correct answer and no marks for an incorrect answer. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers.

Is IELTS band 6.0 a good score?

Firstly, you should realize that in IELTS, there is no pass or fail, so having said that, 6.0 is, in fact, a good score! But whether it is good enough for you depends on the institution/organization for which you plan to apply for. A 6.0 score could be taken as a good score if you’re aiming for a bachelor’s degree, but for a master’s degree, a higher score would be required.