IELTS Listening band score chart
IELTS Listening band score chart: how many correct answers out of 40 you need for each band. Band 7 is 30–31, band 8 is 35–36 — same for Academic and General Training.
IELTS Listening has 40 questions worth one mark each, and your raw score converts to a band on the same chart for Academic and General Training. Band 6 needs about 23–25 correct answers, band 7 needs 30–31, band 8 needs 35–36 and band 9 needs 39–40.
| Correct answers (out of 40) | Band |
|---|---|
| 39–40 | 9.0 |
| 37–38 | 8.5 |
| 35–36official point | 8.0 |
| 32–34 | 7.5 |
| 30–31official point | 7.0 |
| 26–29 | 6.5 |
| 23–25official point | 6.0 |
| 18–22 | 5.5 |
| 16–17official point | 5.0 |
| 13–15 | 4.5 |
Correct answers needed for each CLB level
Canadian immigration converts each IELTS General Training band to a Canadian Language Benchmark. These are the Listening bands IRCC sets for each level, and the raw score that reaches them on this chart.
Why the chart is an estimate
IELTS publishes four exact points for Listening: 16 correct answers for band 5, 23 for band 6, 30 for band 7 and 35 for band 8. The rows in between are the conversion that circulates from past papers, and each test version is equated, so a cut-off can move by about a mark from one test to the next.
Every answer is worth one mark and there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so leaving a question blank can only cost you. Spelling counts: a correct word misspelled scores nothing.
Academic and General Training use the same Listening chart
Everyone sits the same Listening test, so the conversion is identical for both exam types. Only Reading uses different charts, where General Training needs more correct answers for the same band.
Sit a timed Listening section and see your band on this chart.
Common questions
How many correct answers do I need for band 7 in IELTS Listening?
Band 7 in Listening needs 30–31 correct answers out of 40. 30 is one of the four points IELTS publishes officially, so it is the most reliable line on the chart.
How many answers can I get wrong and still score band 8?
Band 8 needs 35–36 correct answers, so you can lose up to 5 marks. For band 8.5 you can lose at most 3.
Is the IELTS Listening score different on computer-delivered IELTS?
No. The questions, the marking and the band conversion are the same on paper and on computer. The difference on computer is that you type answers as you listen and get two minutes at the end to check them, instead of ten minutes to transfer answers to a sheet.