IELTS · Free tools
IELTS Listening band score calculator
Listening has 40 questions, one mark each. Enter how many you got right to see your band: 30 correct answers is band 7.0, 26 is 6.5 and 23 is 6.0. The table is the same for Academic and General Training.
Your band
6.5
| Target band | Correct answers needed | From your score |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 18 | reached |
| 6.0 | 23 | reached |
| 6.5 | 26 | reached |
| 7.0 | 30 | +2 |
| 7.5 | 32 | +4 |
| 8.0 | 35 | +7 |
The conversion tables are the ones IELTS partners publish as a guide; the exact cut-offs can move by one or two answers from test to test.
Get a real score in a timed practice test| Correct answers | Your band |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36 | 8.0 |
| 32–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–31 | 7.0 |
| 26–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–25 | 6.0 |
| 18–22 | 5.5 |
| 16–17 | 5.0 |
| 13–15 | 4.5 |
| 10–12 | 4.0 |
| 8–9 | 3.5 |
| 6–7 | 3.0 |
| 4–5 | 2.5 |
How Listening is scored
Every correct answer is worth one mark, and there is no penalty for a wrong one. The raw score out of 40 is converted to a band from 1 to 9 in half bands. The cut-offs move slightly between test versions, because some recordings are harder than others, so a published table is a guide rather than a promise.
Spelling counts: a word you heard correctly but misspelled scores zero. So does an answer over the word limit. The Listening guide explains the traps that cost the most marks.
From your Listening band to your overall score
Listening is one of four sections. The overall band is the average of all four, rounded to the nearest half band. Put your four scores into the band score calculator to see the overall result, or check the Reading calculator for the other section with a raw score.
Questions
How many correct answers do I need for 7.0 in Listening?
About 30 out of 40. For 6.5 you need about 26, for 7.5 about 32 and for 8.0 about 35.
Is the Listening table different for General Training?
No. Listening is the same test in Academic and General Training, with the same conversion.
Why did my official band differ by half a band?
Each test version has its own cut-offs, which can move by one or two answers. The table here is the one IELTS partners publish as typical.
More free IELTS tools
- Band score calculator: All four sections → your overall band
- Reading band calculator: Academic and General Training tables
- Score converter: IELTS ↔ CEFR, TOEFL, Duolingo, PTE
- Speaking topic generator: Part 1, cue cards with a timer, Part 3
- Writing topic generator: Task 2 essays, Task 1 charts and letters