IELTS Writing Band Descriptors: Scoring Explained

IELTS Writing is scored on four equal criteria. Your final band is the average of the four — not a holistic impression.

The criteria below follow the official IELTS Writing band descriptors published by the test owners (ielts.org scoring in detail).

Most candidates stuck at 6.5 are not "bad at writing." They score 7+ on three criteria and 6 on one. Find the weak one, fix it, and the overall band moves.

Jump to The 4 Criteria in 60 SecondsThe 4 Criteria in 60 Seconds

Criterion	Weight	Task 1 name	Task 2 name	Core question
Task Achievement / Response	25%	Task Achievement	Task Response	Did you fully answer the question?
Coherence & Cohesion	25%	Same	Same	Is it logically organised and easy to follow?
Lexical Resource	25%	Same	Same	Is your vocabulary wide and precise?
Grammatical Range & Accuracy	25%	Same	Same	Do you use varied sentences accurately?

Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in your final Writing band. Prioritise Task 2 improvement.

Jump to Criterion 1: Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2)Criterion 1: Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2)

This is the most misunderstood criterion — and the fastest to fix.

Task 1 Task Achievement requires:

1. An overview (2-3 sentences summarising main trends, no data). No overview = maximum Band 5 for this criterion.
2. All key features selected and reported, not every detail.
3. Data used to support, not listed mechanically.
4. At least 150 words. Under-length responses are penalised here.

Task 2 Task Response requires:

1. All parts of the question answered. A "discuss both views and give your opinion" essay that only gives your opinion caps at Band 5.
2. A clear position throughout, not just in the conclusion.
3. Extended, supported ideas — each main point needs explanation + example.
4. At least 250 words.

The most common Band 6 failure: ideas are relevant but underdeveloped. One sentence per idea is not enough. Aim for 3-4 sentences per body paragraph point: claim, explain, example, link. See the full structure in our IELTS Writing Task 2 essay structure guide.

Jump to Criterion 2: Coherence and CohesionCriterion 2: Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence = logical flow. Cohesion = linking devices.

Band 6 vs 7 vs 9:

Band	Paragraphing	Linking
Band 6	Paragraphs exist but logic is unclear in places	Mechanical linking: "Firstly, Secondly, Furthermore, In conclusion" on repeat
Band 7	Logical progression, clear paragraphs	Range of cohesive devices, some over/under-use but meaning clear
Band 9	Seamless, paragraph-internal logic	Flexible, natural referencing and substitution, rare faulty cohesion

Three fixes that move Band 6 to 7:

1. One idea per paragraph. If a paragraph contains two arguments, split it.
2. Replace mechanical linkers with reference words: "this trend," "such policies," "these effects." Examiners reward referencing more than "Moreover."
3. Use topic sentences. Each body paragraph should open with a sentence stating its main point — the examiner should be able to outline your essay from topic sentences alone.

For Task 1 specifically, group data logically (by trend, by size, by time period) and signal the grouping: "Turning to the most significant changes..." Our Task 1 questions guide with samples shows this grouping in practice.

Jump to Criterion 3: Lexical ResourceCriterion 3: Lexical Resource

This measures range, precision, collocation, and spelling — not rare words.

What examiners actually reward:

• Collocation accuracy: "commit a crime," not "do a crime." "Pose a threat," not "give a threat." A bank of natural collocations beats ten memorised "big words." Build yours from our topic vocabulary banks.
• Paraphrase ability: repeating the question wording ("pollution is a serious problem" → "pollution is a serious problem") signals Band 6. Flexibility with synonyms and rephrasing signals Band 7+.
• Less common items with awareness of style: "exacerbate," "mitigate," "unprecedented" used correctly. One misused "fancy" word hurts more than three correct common words.
• Spelling: frequent errors that impede meaning pull you to Band 5-6. Occasional slips are tolerated at Band 7.

The Band 6 trap: memorised phrases ("a double-edged sword," "in this day and age," "every coin has two sides"). Examiners are trained to spot them and they cap Lexical Resource. Write naturally.

Jump to Criterion 4: Grammatical Range and AccuracyCriterion 4: Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Band 6 vs 7 vs 9:

Band	Range	Accuracy
Band 6	Mix of simple and complex sentences	Frequent errors, but meaning rarely obscured
Band 7	Variety of complex structures	Frequent error-free sentences; occasional errors remain
Band 9	Wide range, used flexibly and naturally	Rare minor slips only ("slips," not systematic errors)

The minimum sentence toolkit for Band 7:

• Conditional (real + unreal): "If governments invested more..., cities would..."
• Relative clauses: "..., which has led to..."
• Subordinate clauses of cause/contrast: "Although..., ...because..."
• Passive where natural (Task 1 processes especially): "The water is then filtered..."
• A cleft or inversion for flexibility: "It is the lack of funding that..."

Accuracy rule: at Band 7, errors must not impede communication, and you need frequent error-free sentences — whole sentences with zero errors, not just error-free clauses. The fastest accuracy win is articles (a/the) and subject-verb agreement, which account for roughly half of persistent errors at Band 6. Our grammar guide for Writing covers the five error types that cost the most.

Jump to How the Final Score Is CalculatedHow the Final Score Is Calculated

Each criterion gets a band (e.g., TA 7, CC 7, LR 6, GRA 7). The average is rounded to the nearest half band:

• 6.75 → rounds up to 7.0
• 6.5 → stays 6.5
• 6.25 → rounds down to 6.0

This is why the 6.5-to-7 improvement strategy focuses on lifting the single weakest criterion by half a band rather than improving everything.

Jump to Self-Diagnose Your Weakest Criterion (10 Minutes)Self-Diagnose Your Weakest Criterion (10 Minutes)

1. Take your last essay and check: did you answer every part with an overview/position? If not → Task Response is the leak.
2. Read only your topic sentences. Can a stranger outline your argument? If not → Coherence & Cohesion.
3. Circle every repeated content word from the question. More than 3 repeats → Lexical Resource.
4. Count fully error-free sentences. Fewer than half → Grammatical Range & Accuracy.

Fix in this order of speed: Task Response (days) → Cohesion (1-2 weeks) → Grammar accuracy (weeks) → Lexical range (months). Then validate with timed practice — real 2026 Task 2 questions make the best diagnostic set.

Jump to Practice With FeedbackPractice With Feedback

Knowing the descriptors is half the battle. The other half is getting criterion-level feedback on your own essays — overall "Band 6.5" tells you nothing, but "TA 7 / CC 7 / LR 6 / GRA 6" tells you exactly what to study next. Practice any recent question on Band9Prep's AI writing tool and get all four criterion scores instantly.

Jump to Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

What are the 4 IELTS Writing band descriptors? Task Achievement/Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy — 25% each.

Which criterion is hardest to improve? Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range, because they need months of language input. Task Response and Cohesion can move in weeks with structure work.

Can one weak criterion keep me at 6.5? Yes — a 7/7/7/6 profile averages 6.75, which rounds up to 7, but a 7/7/6/6 profile averages 6.5. One weak criterion at 6 is survivable; two is not.