IELTS Writing band descriptors explained in plain English

The IELTS Writing band descriptors are the official public version of the scales examiners use to mark your Writing. They are dense, and the difference between one band and the next often comes down to a single word such as some, a range or a wide range. This guide walks through what they say, quotes the official wording where it matters, and explains in plain English what you need to do differently to move from band 6 to 7 to 8.

All quotations come from the official Writing Band Descriptors, updated May 2023, published on ielts.org. There are two separate tables, one for Task 1 and one for Task 2, and we label every quote with the task it comes from.

The basics: how Writing is marked

• Writing is assessed on four criteria: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
• Both tables are headed “Scoring criteria for Academic and General Training tests”, so the same descriptors apply to both versions of the test. Task 1 Task Achievement has extra lines marked (Academic) and (General Training) where the tasks differ.
• Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 towards your Writing band.
• Your Writing band is reported on the 1–9 scale in whole or half bands, like every other section. See our guide to IELTS band scores for how the overall band is calculated.

Above each table, the PDF sets two important rules: “A script must fully fit the positive features of the descriptor at a particular level”, and “Bolded text indicates negative features that will limit a rating.” In practice, this means you cannot reach band 7 on a criterion by doing some band 8 things and some band 6 things. You need all the band 7 features.

Task Response (Task 2): answering the question

Task Response asks whether you have answered the question you were given, with a clear position and ideas that are developed rather than just listed.

Moving from 6 to 7: make sure every part of the prompt is answered (both views, both questions, or a judgement if asked), and state your position in the introduction and keep it. From 7 to 8: replace general support (this is good for society) with precise reasoning and concrete examples. Our guide to IELTS essay types shows how to check you have covered every part.

Task Achievement (Task 1): Academic and General Training

In Task 1, the first criterion is Task Achievement. Here the descriptors split into Academic and General Training lines, which is why it is worth reading them separately.

For Academic candidates, the overview is the single clearest step from 6 to 7: an attempted overview is band 6 wording, a clear one is band 7. At band 5, the Academic line includes a bolded negative feature: “There may be no data to support the description.” Our Academic Writing Task 1 guide shows how to write overviews for every chart type.

For General Training, the jump is about tone and purpose. Band 7 needs a consistent, appropriate tone, and at band 4 the bolded wording includes “Not all bullet points are presented”. See our General Training letter guide for tone in practice.

Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence is whether your ideas are in a logical order the reader can follow. Cohesion is the language that joins them: linking words, but also pronouns and words like this, such, these problems that refer back (the descriptors call this “reference and substitution”).

Here is the kind of change that moves this criterion. A mechanical version: Firstly, cars cause pollution. Moreover, cars cause traffic. In addition, cars are expensive. A more flexible version: Private cars are a major source of urban air pollution. They also clog city centres, and this congestion costs businesses time and money. The second uses reference (They, this congestion) instead of stacking connectors. Our pages on referencing and linking and cohesion have more practice.

Lexical Resource

Lexical Resource is your vocabulary: range, precision, collocation (which words naturally go together), and accuracy of spelling and word formation.

Note the phrase when appropriate. Band 8 is not about forcing rare words into every sentence. Governments should impose a levy on sugary drinks is precise; governments should implement a fiscal mechanism vis-à-vis saccharine beverages is not. Building topic vocabulary and checking collocations is a more reliable route than memorising impressive-sounding words.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

This criterion has two halves: range (the variety of structures you use) and accuracy (how many sentences are error-free, including punctuation).

The jump from 7 to 8 is largely an accuracy jump: from frequent error-free sentences to the majority. Proofreading for your personal error patterns (articles, subject-verb agreement, comma splices) often matters more than adding new structures. Our grammar pages on complex sentences and punctuation are good starting points.

What the descriptors say about length

Task 1 needs at least 150 words and Task 2 at least 250. The band descriptors themselves address length in three places, in both the Task 1 and Task 2 tables:

• At band 1, on every criterion: “Responses of 20 words or fewer are rated at Band 1.”
• At band 3, Lexical Resource: the resource is inadequate, which “may be due to the response being significantly underlength”.
• At band 3, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, in bold: “Length may be insufficient to provide evidence of control of sentence forms.”

The descriptors do not set out a fixed deduction per missing word. The official format pages explain the practical risk instead: if your answer is too short, there may not be enough evidence of the language features needed to award higher bands. They also say you will not be penalised for writing more than the minimum, though a very long answer can leave you without time to check. The band 1 descriptor also notes that “any copied rubric must be discounted”, so words copied from the question do not help.

Using the descriptors to improve

1. Find your weakest criterion. That is usually where improvement comes fastest. A teacher's feedback or an estimated breakdown helps here.
2. Read one band above. If you are at 6 in Coherence and Cohesion, read only the band 7 wording and list what is different.
3. Change one habit at a time. For example, replace three stacked connectors per paragraph with referencing.
4. Compare with a model. Our IELTS writing samples include notes linking each answer's features to the four criteria. They are study models written by Stride, not examiner-marked scripts.

For broader strategy, see how to get band 7 in IELTS. To see how a Writing band feeds into your overall score, try the band score calculator.

Are the band descriptors the same for Academic and General Training?

Yes. Both the Task 1 and Task 2 tables are headed “Scoring criteria for Academic and General Training tests”. Task 1 Task Achievement includes separate lines for Academic (overview, key features, data) and General Training (bullet points, purpose, tone).

When were the Writing band descriptors last updated?

The current public version on ielts.org is marked “Updated May 2023”.

Do I lose marks for writing under 250 words in Task 2?

The descriptors do not list a per-word deduction. They say responses of 20 words or fewer are rated at band 1, and at band 3 they mention responses that are significantly underlength. The official format page warns that a short answer may not show enough language for higher bands. Write at least the minimum.

What is the difference between Task Achievement and Task Response?

Task Achievement is the first criterion for Task 1 (describing visual data or writing a letter). Task Response is the first criterion for Task 2 (the essay) and focuses on addressing the prompt and presenting a developed position.

What does “bolded text indicates negative features” mean?

In the official PDF, some phrases are printed in bold, such as “There may be no data to support the description” at band 5 for Academic Task 1. These are features that limit how high a rating can go on that criterion.

Can Stride tell me my official Writing band?

No. Only an IELTS test gives an official score. Stride's Writing tests are marked by AI with an estimated band on the four criteria and feedback, which you can use to see which criterion to work on.