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    IELTS Band Score Calculator

    Enter your four section scores and get your overall band, with the official rounding rules.

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    The overall band is the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest half band, averages ending in .25 round up to the next half band, and .75 rounds up to the next whole band.

    Overall band score

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    How it works

    1. 1

      Select your band (0 to 9, in half bands) for each of the four sections.

    2. 2

      Read your overall band instantly, with the rounding rule applied for you.

    3. 3

      Try the sections you could realistically improve and watch which change moves the overall.

    4. 4

      Use the section calculators under “More free tools” if you only have raw scores so far.

    Good to know

    The rounding rule, precisely

    The overall band is the arithmetic mean of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band, and IELTS rounds .25 and .75 upward. An average of 6.125 becomes 6.0, but 6.25 becomes 6.5, and 6.75 becomes 7.0. This is why two candidates with the same total can hold different overall bands, and why a half-band gain in your weakest section is sometimes worth a full overall band.

    Strategy: where a half band buys the most

    If your target is Overall 7.0, you need an average of at least 6.75: for instance 7.0/7.0/6.5/6.5, or 7.5/7.0/6.5/6.0. Listening and Reading are usually the cheapest sections to raise because they respond directly to practice-test volume, while Writing is statistically the lowest-scoring section worldwide. Run your realistic scenarios here before deciding where to spend your remaining prep weeks, because the arithmetic often contradicts instinct.

    Questions

    Is the overall band just the average of the four sections?
    Almost. It's the average rounded to the nearest half band, with .25 and .75 rounding up. The upward rounding at exactly .25 and .75 is the part most people miss, and it works in your favour.
    Do universities look at the overall band or section scores?
    Usually both: a typical requirement reads “overall 6.5 with no section below 6.0”. Immigration programs often set per-section minimums too. Always check the specific requirement, because a strong overall can still fail a minimum-per-section rule.
    What overall band do I need for university admission?
    Common thresholds: 6.0 to 6.5 overall for most undergraduate programs, 6.5 to 7.0 for postgraduate, and 7.0 to 7.5 for medicine, law, and teaching registration. Competitive programs in the UK, Australia, and Canada increasingly ask 6.5 with 6.0 minimums.
    Are half bands like 6.75 possible as final scores?
    No. Every reported score, section and overall, is a whole or half band (6.0, 6.5, 7.0…). Quarter values exist only inside the averaging step, which is exactly what the rounding rule resolves.