Free tool
IELTS band score calculator
Your overall band from your four skill bands, with the official rounding. Leave one skill empty to see the band you need in it.
Choose all four bands to see your overall band, or leave one empty to see what you need in it.
How the rounding works
Add the four bands and divide by four. If the result ends in .25, it rounds up to .5. If it ends in .75, it rounds up to the next whole band. Anything in between rounds to the nearest half band.
| L, R, W, S | Average | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| 6.5, 6.5, 5.0, 7.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| 4.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 |
| 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 6.0 | 6.75 | 7.0 |
| 7.0, 7.0, 6.5, 6.0 | 6.625 | 6.5 |
Raising your Writing band
Writing is the band that most often holds an overall score back. The free essay checker estimates your Task 2 band for all four criteria and marks the sentences to fix first. To check length before you submit, use the IELTS word counter.
Questions
How is the overall IELTS band calculated?
It is the average of your four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to .5, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band. Anything lower rounds down.
What band do I need in Writing to get 7 overall?
It depends on your other three bands. Choose them above and leave Writing empty: the calculator shows the lowest Writing band that still gets you to your target.
Is Writing harder to score well in than the other skills?
For many test takers, yes: Writing is often the lowest of the four bands. It is marked on four criteria, so knowing which one holds you back is the fastest way to raise it.