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IELTS Writing band scores explained
Learn what IELTS examiners look for in your IELTS Writing test, the criteria to be met and how your band score is calculated.
Calculate IELTS Writing band scores
Learn how IELTS Writing is marked, and see how this relates to the official IELTS Writing band scores. An IELTS Examiner marks your Writing test on 4 different criteria. Each criterion is worth 25% of your total mark for that task. The examiner will give you a band score for Writing Task 1 and a band score for Writing Task 2. Then, your final IELTS Writing band score is calculated.
Your IELTS Writing band score will contribute to your overall IELTS band score.
Who marks IELTS Writing?
Your Writing test is marked by between two and four examiners. That's to ensure the highest level of accuracy and fairness in the marks awarded. The assessment criteria used by IELTS examiners are the same for both the General Training and Academic tests.
How are IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 scored?
Your answers in Writing Task 1 are assessed against the following criteria:
task achievement
coherence and cohesion
lexical resource
grammatical range and accuracy.
Writing Task 2 is assessed in much the same way except for the task response criterion.
Each band score matches the performance in the descriptors across these four criteria.
What assessment criteria are used by IELTS Examiners
To find out more about the assessment criteria used by IELTS examiners, check the table below. You can also download the IELTS Writing Task 1 and IELTS Writing Task 2
assessment criteria as a PDF.
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What do the IELTS Writing Band Scores mean?
Writing Task 1 band scores
Writing Task 2 band scores
- Band 9
Task achievement
Fully satisfies all the requirements of the task
Clearly presents a fully developed response
Coherence and cohesion
Uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention
Skilfully manages paragraphing
Lexical resource
Uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’
Grammatical range and accuracy
Uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ - Band 8
Task achievement
Covers all requirements of the task sufficiently
Presents, highlights and illustrates key features/ bullet points clearly and appropriately
Coherence and cohesion
Sequences information and ideas logically
Manages all aspects of cohesion well
Uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately
Lexical resource
Uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings
Skilfully uses uncommon lexical items but there may be occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation
Produces rare errors in spelling and/or word formation
Grammatical range and accuracy
Uses a wide range of structures
The majority of sentences are error-free
Makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies - Band 7
Task achievement
Covers the requirements of the task
(Academic Training) presents a clear overview of main trends, differences or stages
(General Training) presents a clear purpose, with the tone consistent and appropriate
Clearly presents and highlights key features/bullet points but could be more fully extended
Coherence and cohesion
Logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout
Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use
Lexical resource
Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision
Uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation
May produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation - Band 6
Task achievement
Addresses the requirements of the task
(Academic) presents an overview with information appropriately selected
(General Training) presents a purpose that is generally clear; there may be inconsistencies in tone
Presents and adequately highlights key features/ bullet points but details may be irrelevant, inappropriate or inaccurate
Coherence and cohesion
Arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression
Uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
May not always use referencing clearly or appropriately
Lexical resource
Uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task
Attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy - Band 5
Task achievement
Generally addresses the task; the format may be inappropriate in places (Academic) recounts detail mechanically with no clear overview; there may be no data to support the description
(General Training) may present a purpose for the letter that is unclear at times; the tone may be variable and sometimes inappropriate
Presents, but inadequately covers, key features/ bullet points; there may be a tendency to focus on details
Coherence and cohesion
Presents information with some organisation but there may be a lack of overall progression
Makes inadequate, inaccurate or over-use of cohesive devices
May be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution
Lexical resource
Uses a limited range of vocabulary, but this is minimally adequate for the task - Band 4
Task achievement
Attempts to address the task but does not cover all key features/bullet points; the format may be inappropriate
(GT) fails to clearly explain the purpose of the letter; the tone may be inappropriate
May confuse key features/bullet points with detail; parts may be unclear, irrelevant, repetitive or inaccurate
Coherence and cohesion
Presents information and ideas but these are not arranged coherently and there is no clear progression in the response
Uses some basic cohesive devices but these may be inaccurate or repetitive
Lexical resource
Uses only basic vocabulary which may be used repetitively or which may be inappropriate for the task
Has limited control of word formation and/or spelling; errors may cause strain for the reader - Band 3
Task achievement
Fails to address the task, which may have been completely misunderstood
Presents limited ideas which may be largely irrelevant/repetitive
Coherence and cohesion
Does not organise ideas logically
May use a very limited range of cohesive devices, and those used may not indicate a logical relationship between ideas
Lexical resource
Uses only a very limited range of words and expressions with very limited control of word formation and/or spelling
Errors may severely distort the message
Grammatical range and accuracy
Attempts sentence forms but errors in grammar and punctuation predominate and distort the meaning - Band 2
Task achievement
Answer is barely related to the task
Coherence and cohesion
Has very little control of organisational features
Lexical resource
Uses an extremely limited range of vocabulary; essentially no control of word formation and/or spelling
Grammatical range and accuracy
Cannot use sentence forms except in memorised phrase - Band 1
Task achievement
Answer is completely unrelated to the task
Coherence and cohesion
Fails to communicate any message
Lexical resource
Can only use a few isolated words
Grammatical range and accuracy
Cannot use sentence forms at all - Band 0
Task achievement
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
Coherence and cohesion
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
Lexical resource
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
Grammatical range and accuracy
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
- Band 9
Task response
Fully addresses all parts of the task
Presents a fully developed position in answer to the question with relevant, fully extended and well supported ideas
Coherence and cohesion
Uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention
Skilfully manages paragraphing
Lexical resource
Uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’
Grammatical range and accuracy
Uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ - Band 8
Task response
Sufficiently addresses all parts of the task
Presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended and supported ideas
Coherence and cohesion
Sequences information and ideas logically
Manages all aspects of cohesion well
Uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately
Lexical resource
Uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings
Skilfully uses uncommon lexical items but there may be occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation
Produces rare errors in spelling and/or word formation
Grammatical range and accuracy
Uses a wide range of structures
The majority of sentences are error-free
Makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies - Band 7
Task response
Addresses all parts of the task
Presents a clear position throughout the response
Presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to over-generalise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus
Coherence and cohesion
Logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout
Uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use
Presents a clear central topic within each paragraph
Lexical resource
Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision
Uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation
May produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation
Grammatical range and accuracy
Uses a variety of complex structures - Band 6
Task response
Addresses all parts of the task although some parts may be more fully covered than others
Presents a relevant position although the conclusions may become unclear or repetitive
Presents relevant main ideas but some may be inadequately developed/unclear
Coherence and cohesion
Arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression
Uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
May not always use referencing clearly or appropriately
Uses paragraphing, but not always logically
Lexical resource
Uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task
Attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy
Makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication - Band 5
Task response
Addresses the task only partially; the format may be inappropriate in places
Expresses a position but the development is not always clear and there may be no conclusions drawn
Presents some main ideas but these are limited and not sufficiently developed; there may be irrelevant detail
Coherence and cohesion
Presents information with some organisation but there may be a lack of overall progression
Makes inadequate, inaccurate or over-use of cohesive devices
May be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution
May not write in paragraphs or paragraphing may be inadequate
Lexical resource
Uses a limited range of vocabulary, but this is minimally adequate for the task
May make noticeable errors in spelling and/or word formation that may cause some difficulty for the reader - Band 4
Task response
Responds to the task only in a minimal way or the answer is tangential; the format may be inappropriate
Presents a position but this is unclear
Presents some main ideas but these are difficult to identify and may be repetitive, irrelevant or not well supported
Coherence and cohesion
Presents information and ideas but these are not arranged coherently and there is no clear progression in the response
Uses some basic cohesive devices but these may be inaccurate or repetitive
May not write in paragraphs or their use may be confusing
Lexical resource
Uses only basic vocabulary which may be used repetitively or which may be inappropriate for the task
Has limited control of word formation and/or spelling; errors may cause strain for the reader - Band 3
Task response
Does not adequately address any part of the task
Does not express a clear position
Presents few ideas, which are largely undeveloped or irrelevant
Coherence and cohesion
Does not organise ideas logically
May use a very limited range of cohesive devices, and those used may not indicate a logical relationship between ideas
Lexical resource
Uses only a very limited range of words and expressions with very limited control of word formation and/or spelling
Errors may severely distort the message
Grammatical range and accuracy
Attempts sentence forms but errors in grammar and punctuation predominate and distort the meaning - Band 2
Task response
Barely responds to the task
Does not express a position
May attempt to present one or two ideas but there is no development
Coherence and cohesion
Has very little control of organisational features
Lexical resource
Uses an extremely limited range of vocabulary; essentially no control of word formation and/or spelling
Grammatical range and accuracy
Cannot use sentence forms except in memorised phrase - Band 1
Task response
Answer is completely unrelated to the task
Coherence and cohesion
Fails to communicate any message
Lexical resource
Can only use a few isolated words
Grammatical range and accuracy
Cannot use sentence forms at all - Band 0
Task response
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
Coherence and cohesion
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
Lexical resource
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
Grammatical range and accuracy
Does not attend
Does not attempt the task in any way
Writes a totally memorised response
Can you explain the Task response criteria in IELTS Writing?
Listen to Rocco Nigro, our IELTS Expert as he breaks the Task response criteria down for you to help prepare better for the IELTS Writing test.
Can you explain the Grammatical range and accuracy criteria in IELTS Writing?
Rocco Nigro, our IELTS Expert breaks one of the assessment criteria for the IELTS Writing test - Grammatical range and accuracy down for you.
Can you explain the Coherence and cohesion criteria in IELTS Writing?
Our IELTS Expert, Rocco Nigro simplifies one of the IELTS Writing assessment criteria - Coherence and cohesion to help you prepare for the Writing test.
Can you explain the Lexical resource criteria in IELTS Writing?
Rocco Nigro, our IELTS Expert explains what Lexical resource criteria is in the IELTS Writing test to help understand how your test is assessed.
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