NewsHow Is IELTS Scored? Bands 1 to 9 Explained
Your overall IELTS score is the average of four section scores (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking), each marked from 1 to 9 and rounded to the nearest half band.
The four sections
IELTS tests four skills separately: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Each section gets its own band score from 1 to 9 and none of them is weighted more than the others.
How the overall band is calculated
Your overall score is the average of the four section scores. If the average ends in .25, it rounds up to the next half band. If it ends in .75, it rounds up to the next whole band. A .5 average stays as it is.
What the bands actually mean
Band 9 means expert user: someone with full operational command of English. Band 7 means good user, the level most universities and skilled-migration programmes ask for. Band 5 means modest user: someone who can handle basic everyday communication but struggles with complex language.
Why the same overall band can hide very different strengths
Listening and Reading are marked by counting correct answers against a fixed conversion table, so scoring is mechanical. Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners against public band descriptors covering things like grammatical range, coherence and pronunciation. Two candidates with the same overall band can have very different profiles underneath it, which is exactly what a level check or diagnostic is for.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a different score in each section?
Yes. Universities often care about your weakest section as much as your overall score, so always check the exact requirement for each skill, not just the overall number.
Does a 6.5 round up to 7?
No. Only the overall average rounds up or down. A 6.5 in Writing stays a 6.5 on your certificate.
Is Academic and General Training scored the same way?
Listening and Speaking are identical between the two. Reading and Writing use different tasks, calibrated to the same 1 to 9 scale.