Deepa from Nagpur scored 6.0 in Writing on three separate attempts. Each time, she had no idea which part of her writing held her back. So she kept practising in the same way.

Each Writing task is marked on four equally weighted criteria: how well you answer the task, how well you organise your writing, your vocabulary and your grammar. The public IELTS Writing band descriptors say what each criterion rewards at each band, so they show you what to work on.

The Four Assessment Criteria

Task 1 is marked on Task Achievement. In Academic Task 1, it asks how fully and accurately you report the key features of the visual information, and the IELTS website says a clear overview matters from Band 7. For a General Training letter, it asks how well the letter achieves its purpose and covers its three bullet points.

Task 2 is marked on Task Response. It asks how fully you respond to the prompt, how clear your position is, and how well your main ideas are extended and supported.

The other three criteria apply to both tasks. Coherence and Cohesion covers organisation, progression, paragraphing and linking.

Lexical Resource covers the range, precision and appropriacy of your vocabulary, including collocation and spelling. Grammatical Range and Accuracy covers the range and accuracy of your sentences, and their punctuation.

What Band 7 Requires Across the Four Areas

At the time of writing, the public Writing band descriptors on the IELTS website are marked “Updated May 2023”. The table below paraphrases their Band 7 wording.

Criterion What it looks at What Band 7 needs
Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2) Task 1: the task’s requirements. Task 2: the prompt and your position. Task 1: clear overview or purpose. Task 2: clear, developed position.
Coherence and Cohesion Organisation, progression, paragraphing and linking Clear progression throughout; range of cohesive devices used flexibly
Lexical Resource Range, precision, style, collocation and spelling Some less common words; awareness of style and collocation; few spelling errors
Grammatical Range and Accuracy Range and accuracy of sentences; punctuation Variety of complex structures; frequent error-free sentences

For comparison, the Band 6 descriptors mention Task 2 conclusions that may be unclear, unjustified or repetitive, linking that can be mechanical, and complex structures that are less accurate than simple ones. Band 7 does not ask for perfect writing: a few grammar errors may persist if they do not impede communication.

Hold one of your own essays next to those lines to see which ones sound familiar. For a letter, the IELTS website also suggests stating the main purpose in the opening paragraph.

How Task 1 and Task 2 Combine

Within each task, the score is the average of the four criteria. Across the test, Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score, which the IELTS website describes as a third for Task 1 and two thirds for Task 2.

That weighting is why the IELTS website suggests about 40 minutes for Task 2. Our guide on how to divide the 60 minutes shows one way to plan it.

A Costly Vocabulary Misconception

It is tempting to think that unusual words raise the vocabulary score. The Band 6 descriptor even notes that a risk-taking writer may use a wider range of words, but with more inaccuracy or inappropriacy.

Incorrect: “Big words raise my vocabulary score.”

Correct: Lexical Resource rewards precise, natural words used with awareness of style and collocation; a less common word counts when it fits the context.

To see the criteria applied to full essays, read the complete Task 2 guide.

Tip

Pick the criterion you find hardest, find its Band 7 line in the public descriptors, and underline the words that describe it.

Where to Read the Descriptors and How to Use Them

The public Writing band descriptors for Academic and General Training are published as a PDF on the IELTS website, with separate pages for Task 1 and Task 2. The document explains how to read it: a script must fully fit the positive features of a band, and bold text marks features that limit a rating.

Our Band 6, 7 and 8 comparison shows how the bands differ in practice. Then use our method to assess your own writing against the same four criteria.

Key Takeaways

  • Task Achievement marks Task 1; Task Response marks Task 2.
  • Within each task, the four criteria are weighted equally.
  • Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.
  • Band 7 needs a clear overview or position, logical progression and frequent error-free sentences.
  • A less common word counts when it is accurate and fits the context.

The bottom line: A single Writing band hides four separate judgements, so find your weakest criterion before you practise more.