How IELTS works out your overall band
IELTS reports a band from 0 to 9 for each of the four sections, in half-band steps. Your overall band score is simply the mean of those four numbers, rounded to the nearest half band. Every section counts equally: a strong Listening score can balance a weaker Writing score, and the reverse is also true.
The rounding rule in practice
Because each section is reported in half bands, the average can only end in .0, .125, .25, .375, .5, .625, .75 or .875. IELTS rounds as follows:
| Average ends in | Rounded to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| .0 or .5 | No change | 6.5 → 6.5 |
| .125 | Down to the whole band | 6.125 → 6.0 |
| .25 or .375 | Up to .5 | 6.25 → 6.5 |
| .625 | Down to .5 | 6.625 → 6.5 |
| .75 or .875 | Up to the next whole band | 6.75 → 7.0 |
Worked example
Suppose you score 7.0 in Listening, 6.5 in Reading, 6.0 in Writing and 6.5 in Speaking. The total is 26.0, and 26.0 ÷ 4 = 6.5, so your overall band is 6.5. If your Writing rose to 6.5, the total would be 26.5 and the average 6.625 — which still rounds to 6.5. You would need another half band somewhere (for example Speaking 7.0) to reach an average of 6.75, which rounds up to an overall 7.0.
Using the calculator to plan your preparation
- Enter your latest practice scores to see where you stand against your target.
- Try raising one section at a time to find the quickest route to your goal — often it is the section closest to the next half band.
- Remember section minimums: a university asking for 6.5 overall may still reject a 5.5 in Writing.
Not sure of your Listening or Reading band? Convert your raw score out of 40 with the Listening score calculator or the Reading score calculator, then come back here.