IELTS Writing
IELTS Writing band scores
Your Writing band comes from four criteria, applied to both tasks. Understand what each one measures and you can see exactly where your marks are going.
In short
- Four criteria, each 25% of a task: Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
- Task 2 is weighted twice as heavily as Task 1 in your overall Writing band.
- Most stuck scores come from Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
The four criteria
Each is worth a quarter of a task's score. In-depth guide for each:
Raising your band
Where the marks hide and how to move up a half band:
Band-by-band reference guides
See exactly what each band looks like — criterion grid, before/after sentence rewrites, and targeted actions to reach the next level.
IELTS Writing band scores — common questions
How is the IELTS Writing band calculated?+
Each task is scored on four criteria. Task 1 and Task 2 band scores are combined with Task 2 weighted twice as heavily, then rounded to the nearest half band to give your Writing band from 0 to 9.
What are the four IELTS Writing criteria?+
Task Response (Task Achievement on Task 1), Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. Each is worth 25% of a task's score.
Why is my IELTS writing stuck at 6.5?+
Usually one or two criteria are dragging the average. The most common are Lexical Resource (repetitive or imprecise vocabulary) and Grammatical Range & Accuracy (limited structures or frequent errors). A correction shows which one it is.
What is the difference between band 6 and band 7 in writing?+
Band 6 communicates but with noticeable errors and limited range; band 7 is clear, well-organised, uses less common vocabulary appropriately, and produces frequent error-free sentences. The jump is mostly in Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.