- IELTS Listening has 40 questions and each correct answer is worth one mark
- Official IELTS mark anchors put 16 marks out of 40 at band 5, 23 at band 6, 30 at band 7 and 35 at band 8
- The overall band is the average of the four skills, rounded up to the next half band when it ends in .25 and to the next whole band when it ends in .75
- IELTS One Skill Retake now lets computer test takers resit Listening alone within 60 days of the original test.
The IELTS Listening test is one of the four skills scored on the IELTS nine band scale, alongside Reading, Writing and Speaking. It contains 40 questions spread across four parts of ten questions each, and the recordings are played once only.
On the paper based test you get approximately 30 minutes of listening plus 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. The Listening test is identical for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, so the same raw score converts to the same band in both.
How Is the IELTS Listening Band Score Calculated?
Every correct answer in the Listening test earns one mark, so your raw score is out of 40 with no negative marking. That raw score converts to the nine band scale and is reported in whole or half bands. IELTS publishes anchors of 16 marks for band 5, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8.
Marks are deducted for spelling and grammar mistakes when you write answers on the answer sheet, and answers that break the stated word limit score zero. Accuracy in transferring answers therefore matters as much as understanding the recording.
| IELTS Listening Band Score (2026) | Official Raw Marks Out of 40 |
|---|---|
| Band 8 | 35 |
| Band 7 | 30 |
| Band 6 | 23 |
| Band 5 | 16 |
These are the mark anchors published by IELTS itself. Boundaries between them can move slightly from one test version to another because every version is statistically equated, so treat any half band figures you see on coaching sites as indicative rather than official.
How Is the Overall IELTS Band Score Worked Out?
Your overall band score is the average of the four skill band scores, rounded to the nearest half band. IELTS applies two specific rules: an average ending in .25 is rounded up to the next half band, and an average ending in .75 is rounded up to the next whole band. Nothing is rounded down.
| Worked Example (2026) | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Average | Overall Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example 1 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 6.25 | 6.5 |
| Example 2 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.875 | 4.0 |
| Example 3 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 7.75 | 8.0 |
In Example 1 the average of 6.25 ends in .25 and is rounded up to 6.5. In Example 3 the average of 7.75 ends in .75 and is rounded up to the whole band 8.0. A strong Listening score therefore pulls the overall band up, which is why it is worth targeting the extra two or three marks.
Complete IELTS Exam Guide 2026Read →Is There a Minimum Pass Score in IELTS Listening?
IELTS has no pass or fail mark. Results are reported from band 1 up to band 9, with band 0 recorded when a candidate did not attempt the test. Each university, employer or immigration authority sets its own required overall band and, in many cases, its own minimum for each individual skill.
The University of Washington asks international first year applicants for an overall IELTS score of 6.0. The University of Manchester lists typical entry scores ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 and above depending on the course, and notes that sub skill requirements may also apply. Always check the specific course page rather than a general figure.
IELTS results are accepted for two years from the test date by most institutions, including Manchester and Washington, so plan your test date around your application deadlines.
Best Universities Accepting IELTS ScoresRead →How Are Reading, Writing and Speaking Bands Scored?
Reading also has 40 questions worth one mark each, but Academic and General Training use different conversions because the General Training texts are easier. Writing is judged on four equally weighted criteria per task, with Task 2 carrying more weight than Task 1. Speaking uses four criteria, each weighted equally.
| Raw Marks Out of 40 (2026) | Academic Reading Band | General Training Reading Band |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | 8 | 7 |
| 30 | 7 | 6 |
| 23 | 6 | 5 |
| 15 | 5 | 4 |
The table shows why the same raw score is worth a full band less in General Training Reading: 30 marks gives band 7 in Academic but only band 6 in General Training. Listening uses one shared conversion, so this gap applies to Reading alone.
- Writing Task 1 criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy
- Writing Task 2 criteria: task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy
- Speaking criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, pronunciation
What Does Each IELTS Band Score Mean?
Each band on the nine point scale maps to a described level of English. Band 9 is an expert user with fully operational command of the language, band 7 is a good user with occasional inaccuracies, and band 6 is a competent user. Band 0 means the candidate did not attempt the test.
| IELTS Band Score (2026) | Skill Level | Official Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Expert user | Has fully operational command of the language. |
| 8 | Very good user | Fully operational command with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies. |
| 7 | Good user | Operational command, though with occasional inaccuracies and misunderstandings. |
| 6 | Competent user | Effective command despite some inaccuracies and misunderstandings. |
| 5 | Modest user | Partial command and copes with overall meaning in most situations. |
| 4 | Limited user | Basic competence is limited to familiar situations. |
| 3 | Extremely limited user | Conveys and understands only general meaning in very familiar situations. |
| 2 | Intermittent user | Has great difficulty understanding spoken and written English. |
| 1 | Non user | No ability to use the language beyond a few isolated words. |
| 0 | Did not attempt | No assessable information was provided. |
How Can You Score Band 8 in IELTS Listening?
Band 8 in Listening needs 35 correct answers out of 40 according to the official IELTS mark anchors, which leaves room for only five mistakes. Band 7 needs 30 marks. Reaching that level means practising with full length recordings played once, predicting answer types and checking spelling as you transfer answers.
- Practise with complete 40 question tests rather than single parts, because concentration in Part 4 is where most marks are lost.
- Read the questions during the pauses and predict whether the answer will be a number, a name or a noun.
- Write answers exactly as you hear them and respect the word limit stated in the instructions.
- Check spelling and singular or plural forms during the 10 minute transfer time on the paper test.
Can You Retake Only the IELTS Listening Section?
Yes. IELTS One Skill Retake allows you to resit a single skill, including Listening, instead of the whole test. It is available on computer delivered IELTS at selected test centres, must be taken within 60 days of your original test, and only one retake is allowed per full test.
After a One Skill Retake you receive a new Test Report Form showing the updated skill alongside your three original scores, and you can choose whether to submit the original form or the new one. Confirm with your chosen institution that it accepts a One Skill Retake result before booking.