📘 Introduction:
When I first started preparing students for the IELTS exam, I noticed one question came up constantly: “What exactly are examiners looking for?” If you’re feeling that same confusion, you’re not alone!
Whether you’re aiming for a Band 6 to meet university requirements or pushing for that elusive Band 9, understanding how IELTS Writing is scored is essential for success. In this guide, I’ll break down the updated (May 2023) IELTS Writing Band Descriptors so you know exactly what examiners are looking for in both Task 1 (graph/chart description) and Task 2 (essay). These descriptors are based on the official IELTS band descriptors published by IELTS.org.
🧠 IELTS Writing: The Four Scoring Criteria
Your writing tasks are evaluated based on four key criteria, with each contributing 25% to your final score:
- Task Achievement / Task Response
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Lexical Resource
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Let’s unpack what each of these means.
1. Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2)
This measures how well you’ve answered the question and fulfilled the requirements.
- Band 9: Fully satisfies all task requirements with well-developed, relevant content.
- Band 6: Covers the task but may miss or under-develop some details or ideas.
- Band 4 and below: The response is unclear, repetitive, or doesn’t fully address the question.
🔍 Tip: For Task 1, clearly describe trends or data. For Task 2, ensure your argument is well-developed and directly answers the question.
2. Coherence and Cohesion
This measures how logically your ideas are organized and connected.
- Band 9: Ideas flow smoothly with skillful paragraphing and natural use of linking words.
- Band 6: Ideas are generally organized but may lack clarity or use mechanical connectors.
- Band 4: Lacks logical progression; linking devices are often incorrect or overused.
🔍 Tip: Use paragraphs effectively and avoid overusing transition phrases.
3. Lexical Resource
This focuses on vocabulary range and accuracy.
- Band 9: Wide range of precise and sophisticated vocabulary, used naturally.
- Band 6: Adequate range, but with occasional awkward or inaccurate word choices.
- Band 4: Limited vocabulary, frequent repetition, and basic expressions.
🔍 Tip: Use varied vocabulary, but don’t overuse complex words if you’re unsure of their meaning.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
This assesses sentence structure variety and grammar accuracy.
- Band 9: Full control of complex sentence structures with rare errors.
- Band 6: A mix of simple and complex sentences, with occasional mistakes.
- Band 4: Frequent grammar and punctuation errors that may impede understanding.
🔍 Tip: Practice writing error-free complex sentences. Vary your structures.
📈 What Band 7+ Writers Do Differently
Writers scoring Band 7 or above consistently:
- Present well-organized ideas with strong paragraphing.
- Use precise vocabulary with few errors.
- Demonstrate a range of sentence types.
- Develop arguments or data interpretation logically and clearly.
🚀 Ready to Improve Your IELTS Writing Score?
Try our AI-powered writing assessment tool today and get:
- Instant band score predictions for each criterion
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