How to Get Band 7 in IELTS When You Are Stuck at 6.5

It is common to get a different band in each skill. A difference of up to two bands between skills is normal source: IDP.

So two people with an overall 6.5 can have very different results. Your Test Report Form shows which one is yours. Start there, before you plan any practice.

Start here: find where your half band is

Your overall band is the average of your four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. An average that ends in .75 is rounded up to the next whole band source: ielts.org.

So scores of 7, 7, 7 and 6 average 6.75, and the overall band is 7. You do not need four sevens. IELTS band scores explained covers the scale itself.

Now compare two reports with an overall 6.5:

Report B's average of 6.625 rounds to 6.5.

Report A has no single weak section. Raising any two sections to 7 gives an average of 6.75, which rounds up to 7. Report B has one clear target, which is Writing. Raising Writing from 6.0 to 6.5 gives an average of 6.75, which rounds up to 7. Enter your own scores in the band score calculator to test your options.

Listening and Reading: band 6 to band 7

Band 6 is about 23 correct answers out of 40 in Listening and Academic Reading, and band 7 is about 30. In General Training Reading, band 6 is about 30 and band 7 is about 35. These are averages, and the exact marks vary slightly between test versions source: ielts.org.

So the step from 6 to 7 is about seven more correct answers, or about five in General Training Reading. Mark your practice tests and sort your wrong answers by question type. Work on the type that costs you the most marks first.

• Reading raw scores and Listening raw scores give the marks for each band.
• Reading question types links a guide for each type.
• The Listening test format covers the six Listening question types.
• Numbers, dates and times shows how to write the Listening answers that are easiest to get wrong.
• Our improvement plans for Listening and Reading give the gap for each step up.

Writing: band 6 to band 7

Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to your Writing score source: ielts.org.

At band 6, conclusions "may be unclear, unjustified or repetitive", and cohesion "may be faulty or mechanical". Complex sentences are less accurate than simple ones. At band 7, the position is "clear and developed", and "error-free sentences are frequent". To get a band, a script must fully fit its positive features source: ielts.org.

So one band 6 habit can keep a criterion at 6 while the rest improves. Take one of your Task 2 essays and read it against the band 6 row of one criterion at a time. Underline each sentence that fits band 6 rather than band 7. The criterion with the most underlined sentences is your target.

• Band 6 vs 6.5 vs 7 puts the band 6 and band 7 rows side by side.
• How IELTS Writing is marked links a guide for each criterion. Each guide has a band 6 to band 7 section.
• The Writing improvement plan takes each band step in turn.

Speaking: band 6 to band 7

At band 6, coherence "may be lost at times" through hesitation, repetition or self-correction. At band 7, you "readily produce long turns without noticeable effort". Error-free sentences are frequent at band 7. A test taker is rated on their average performance across all parts of the test source: ielts.org.

So look at your longer answers in Parts 2 and 3. Record one, then listen for where you stop, restart or repeat yourself. Those places are where the band 6 row still fits.

• How IELTS Speaking is marked links a guide for each criterion. Each guide has a band 6 to band 7 section, and the fluency guide covers long turns.
• The Speaking improvement plan takes each band step in turn.

After band 7: the step to band 8

Band 8 is about 35 correct answers out of 40 in Listening and Academic Reading source: ielts.org. IELTS publishes no band 8 average for General Training Reading.

In Writing at band 8, "the majority of sentences are error-free" source: ielts.org.

In Speaking at band 8, a few basic grammar errors may remain. Pronunciation "can sustain appropriate rhythm", with flexible stress and intonation across long answers source: ielts.org.

Each criterion guide shows the band 8 row next to band 7. No plan can promise a band or a date, so use this one to decide where to look first.

The averaging and rounding rules and the conversion marks come from the IELTS scoring in detail page on ielts.org, and the Task 2 weighting from its Academic Writing format page. The band 6, band 7 and band 8 wording comes from the Writing band descriptors and Speaking band descriptors on ielts.org. The line on differences between skills comes from IDP's guide to understanding IELTS scores. Last checked September 2026.