How do you calculate an IELTS Band Score?
ScottsEnglish
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Do you know how your IELTS Band Score is calculated?
IELTS test takers receive a Test Report Form which shows the overall band score as well as their scores in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
The overall band score is calculated by taking the average of the total of your Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking scores.
Overall band scores are reported to the nearest whole or half band.
Now, what if the average ends up being 5.25 or 5.75? Well, if the average across the four skills ends in .25, it is rounded up to the next half band, and if it ends in .75, it is rounded up to the next whole band.
Have a look at these examples:
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average score* | Band score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test taker 1 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5 | 7 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| Test taker 2 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 |
| Test taker 3 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
*Average score = total of the four individual component scores divided by four.
For specific information about listening band scores, click here.
For specific information about your reading band score, click here.