Our IELTS Band Score Calculator tool is designed with the objective of providing you with a close estimation of your overall band score. So, whether you are preparing for the IELTS exam for the first time or want to improve your overall IELTS band score, the IELTS Band Score Calculator tool will be of immense help. It takes into account the scores of four key test sections: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Our IELTS score calculator tool uses the same scoring system that is used in the official IELTS exam. Here, we bring you the complete details needed to understand the IELTS Band Score Calculator.

What is IELTS?

IELTS, or International English Language Testing System, is the English proficiency exam taken by international students and workers who wish to study or work in a country where English is the primary language of communication. Being a non-native English speaker, if you are planning to get admitted to the top universities worldwide, you must perform and score well in the IELTS exam.

Countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America, Canada, and many others are the prevalent nations where the IELTS score is recognized for university applications. IELTS is the only test that offers its applicants both test modes: pen and paper-based tests or computer-based tests. It assesses your English writing, reading, listening, and speaking abilities on a scale of 0 to 9.

What are IELTS Band Scores?

IELTS Band Scores are the standardized scoring system that determines your English speaking, reading, writing, and listening proficiencies. The score ranges from 0 to 9; 0 being the lowest score and 9 being the highest score. The following table demonstrates the IELTS band score scale:

Your English listening and reading skills are scored out of 40 in an IELTS exam. The scores obtained in these two sections represent the IELTS Band Scores as mentioned below: 

IELTS Academic/General Listening 

IELTS Academic Reading

IELTS General Reading

The IELTS Writing section is scored based on the four following parameters, and the band score obtained is the average of all the tasks.

• Task Achievement (for Task 1), Task Response (for Task 2)
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The IELTS Speaking section is scored based on the four following parameters, and the band score obtained is the average of all the tasks.

• Fluency and Coherence
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Pronunciation

Further, the average of all four sectional band scores is obtained and rounded to the nearest whole or half band score to calculate the IELTS overall Band Score. For instance, if an applicant has obtained the following band scores:

We calculate the total of four section band scores and determine the average as shown below.

The sum of section band scores = 8.5 + 7.0 +7.0 +7.5 = 30.0

Average = 30.0 ÷ 4 = 7.5

Therefore, the IELTS overall Band Score becomes 7.5.

In some cases, it is possible that the average score does not reach 0.50; instead might reach 0.25 or 0.75. We round the score to the nearest whole or half band score for such cases. 

Example 1

If the obtained marks are:

Sum of section band scores = 5.0 + 6.5 + 7.0 + 6.5 = 25.0

Average = 25.0 ÷ 4 = 6.25

Therefore, the overall IELTS Band Score becomes 6.5.

Example 2

If the obtained marks are:

Sum of section band scores = 5.0 + 5.0 + 5.0 + 4.5 = 19.5

Average = 19.5 ÷ 4 = 4.875

Therefore, the overall IELTS Band Score becomes 5.0.

But don’t worry about these calculations, upGrad Abroad IELTS Calculator will do it for you.

The IELTS Band Scores are categorized as Good, Fair, and Bad determining the applicant’s performance. Though universities worldwide and various programs demand different IELTS Band Scores, the following are the commonly accepted categorization based on the overall Band Scores of IELTS.

Important Tips to Improve IELTS Score

• Focus on vocabulary, tenses, grammar, and sentence structure equally. Make sure that all the tasks are grammatically correct.
• Write precise, relevant answers, and avoid writing long paragraphs and sentences.
• Adhere to the word limits in order to finish the exam in the allocated time.
• Practice attempting the test in 2 hours and 45 minutes, just like on exam day. This will help you understand your weaknesses and strengths, improving those areas.
• Do not spend too much time on the questions you can’t find an answer to. You can always move to the next question and get back to that question later on if any time is left at the end.
• Practice reading magazines, books, journals, newspapers, etc. This will help you develop strong reading and writing skill sets.
• Get into the habit of watching English TV shows and movies. This enables your speaking and listening skills.