IELTS Band Scores Explained
Every IELTS score from Band 4 to Band 9 — what it means, what the examiner is looking for, and how to move up.
Listening & Reading: Raw Score to Band Conversion
Both Listening and Reading have 40 questions. Your raw score (number correct) converts to a band score as follows:
| Questions Correct (out of 40) | Band Score |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | Band 9 |
| 37–38 | Band 8.5 |
| 35–36 | Band 8 |
| 33–34 | Band 7.5 |
| 30–32 | Band 7 |
| 27–29 | Band 6.5 |
| 23–26 | Band 6 |
| 18–22 | Band 5.5 |
| 16–17 | Band 5 |
| 13–15 | Band 4.5 |
| 10–12 | Band 4 |
Band Descriptors: All Four Skills
Full operational command of the language. Appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.
Answers all questions correctly with full understanding of all detail, attitude and purpose.
Understands all text types fully; handles all question types with complete accuracy.
Task fully addressed; cohesive, well-organised; wide vocabulary; full grammatical control.
Speaks fluently with only rare repetition; uses language flexibly and effectively; fully coherent.
Fully operational command with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and misunderstandings.
Answers almost all questions correctly; may miss occasional detail in fast or complex speech.
Handles most text types well; may miss subtle inference or nuance in complex academic texts.
Task well-addressed; logically organised; wide vocabulary with occasional errors; mostly accurate grammar.
Fluent with only occasional hesitation; uses a wide range of structures; mostly accurate.
Operational command with occasional inaccuracies and misunderstandings in some situations.
Answers most questions correctly; may miss some detail in complex or fast speech.
Handles most question types; may struggle with NOT GIVEN distinctions and abstract matching headings.
Task addressed; clear progression; good vocabulary with some errors; generally accurate grammar.
Speaks at length without loss of coherence; some hesitation; uses a range of vocabulary and structures.
Generally effective command despite inaccuracies and misunderstandings.
Answers most questions; may miss detail in fast speech or complex vocabulary.
Handles most passages; may confuse FALSE and NOT GIVEN; struggles with inference.
Task generally addressed; adequate organisation; some vocabulary errors; some grammatical errors.
Generally effective; some repetition and hesitation; limited range of complex structures.
Generally effective command despite inaccuracies and misunderstandings.
Answers around 23–26 questions correctly (out of 40); misses detail and distractors.
Answers around 23–26 questions correctly; struggles with inference and abstract headings.
Task addressed but may be incomplete; some organisation; limited vocabulary range; frequent errors.
Communicates effectively but with some repetition; limited complex structures; noticeable errors.
Partial command; copes with overall meaning in most situations.
Answers around 18–22 questions correctly; misses significant detail.
Answers around 18–22 questions correctly; misses inference and nuance.
Task partially addressed; limited organisation; restricted vocabulary; frequent errors.
Communicates basic meaning; limited fluency; frequent errors; limited vocabulary range.
Partial command; copes with overall meaning in most situations.
Answers around 16–17 questions correctly; misses most detail.
Answers around 15–17 questions correctly; struggles with most question types.
Task only partially addressed; poor organisation; very limited vocabulary; many errors.
Basic communication possible; frequent long pauses; very limited vocabulary and structures.
Basic competence limited to familiar situations; frequent problems in understanding and expression.
Answers around 13–15 questions correctly; misses most detail and purpose.
Answers around 13–14 questions correctly; struggles with most passages.
Task not fully addressed; very limited organisation; very restricted vocabulary; many basic errors.
Very limited fluency; frequent pauses; basic vocabulary only; many errors affecting understanding.