Understanding band scores
How the 0–9 band scale works, how your overall score is calculated and what examiners look for in Writing and Speaking.
In this lesson you will
- Understand the 0–9 band scale
- Calculate an overall band from four section scores
- Know the four marking criteria for Writing and Speaking
Learn
Each section gets a band from 0 to 9, in half bands (6.0, 6.5, 7.0…). Your overall band is the average of the four, 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.
Listening and Reading scores come from the number of correct answers out of 40. Writing and Speaking are marked by trained examiners using published descriptors.
Writing is marked on four equally weighted criteria: Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource (vocabulary) and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
Speaking is marked on Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Pronunciation.
Practice tests — including those on KitWren — can only estimate your level. Any band you see here is an educational estimate, not an official IELTS score.
| Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.125 | 6.0 |
| 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| 7.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
Examples
- An average of 6.25 becomes an overall band of 6.5.
- An average of 6.75 becomes an overall band of 7.0.
- An average of 6.125 becomes 6.0.
Vocabulary
criteria
the standards used to judge something
descriptor
a description of performance at each band
lexical resource
range and accuracy of vocabulary
coherence
how clearly ideas are organised and connected
weighted
given a certain importance in the score
Practice
An average of 6.25 gives an overall band of…
Lesson quiz
Band scores are given in steps of…
Review
Key points
- 0–9 bands in half steps; overall = average rounded to nearest half (.25 up, .75 up).
- Writing: TA/TR, CC, LR, GRA.
- Speaking: FC, LR, GRA, Pronunciation.
- Practice scores are estimates only.
What you learned
- ✓ I can calculate an overall band.
- ✓ I know the marking criteria.
- ✓ I understand what practice estimates mean.