IELTS reports a band from 0 to 9 for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, and an overall band. Bands move in halves, so 6.5 and 7.5 are common results.
How the overall band is worked out
The overall band is the average of the four skill bands, rounded to the nearest half band. An average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band, and one ending in .75 rounds up to the next whole band.
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.625 | 6.5 |
| 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.75 | 7.0 |
What the bands describe
- 6 is a competent user: effective command of English despite some inaccuracies and misunderstandings.
- 7 is a good user: operational command, with occasional errors in unfamiliar situations.
- 8 is a very good user: fully operational command, with only occasional unsystematic errors.
Minimum scores in a single skill
Many universities ask for an overall band and a minimum in each skill, for example 7.0 overall with no band below 6.5. Writing is often the skill that holds the overall back, so check the minimum for each skill, not only the overall.