Writing Marking Criteria

A deep dive into the four criteria examiners use to grade IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2, complete with band descriptor breakdowns.

🖋️ Detailed Assessment Criteria & Band Descriptors

1.4 Criteria Used by IELTS Examiners

IELTS examiners evaluate your writing tasks against four core assessment criteria. Each of these criteria carries equal weighting (25%) in determining your band score for each task. Note that while both tasks use the same criteria, Task 2 carries twice as much weight as Task 1 in calculating your overall Writing band score.

Criterion	Weight	Task 1 Name	Task 2 Name
Content Fulfillment	25%	Task Achievement	Task Response
Organization & Flow	25%	Coherence and Cohesion	Coherence and Cohesion
Vocabulary Range	25%	Lexical Resource	Lexical Resource
Grammatical Accuracy	25%	Grammatical Range and Accuracy	Grammatical Range and Accuracy

2.Task Achievement / Task Response

What it means: How well you understood and completely fulfilled the requirements of the prompt.

For Task 1, this evaluates your ability to report on visual information, identify key trends, and provide a clear overview. For Task 2, it evaluates your ability to present a clear position, respond to all parts of the prompt, and develop your ideas with relevant support:

Band	Task Achievement (Task 1)	Task Response (Task 2)
8	Sufficiently covers all requirements; key features are well described; clear overview presented with logical detail	Fully addresses all parts of the prompt; presents a well-developed position with relevant, extended, and supported ideas
7	Covers all requirements; some key features may be missed or overemphasized; presents a clear overview with logical comparison	Addresses all parts of the task; position is clearly presented throughout; presents relevant main ideas, though some may be underdeveloped
6	Covers the requirements; may miss or inaccurately report some key features; overview may be unclear or lack detailed context	Addresses the task; position is presented, though ideas may be repetitive or lack details; relevant main ideas are present but underdeveloped
5	Handles task inadequately; format may be inappropriate; key features unclear, missing, or inaccurate; no clear overview is present	Addresses the task only partially; position is unclear or inconsistent; main ideas are limited, underdeveloped, or unsupported

💡 Expert Tip: For Task 1, always include an objective summary paragraph (the “Overview”). For Task 2, make sure you answer all questions asked in the prompt, or your Task Response score will be capped at a Band 5.

3.Coherence and Cohesion

What it means: Paragraph structure, linking words, logical progression of ideas.

Coherence refers to the logical connection and structure of your ideas. Cohesion refers to the mechanics of connecting sentences, lists, and paragraphs with appropriate linking phrases (cohesive devices):

Band	Description of Organisation & Flow
8	Sequences information and ideas logically; paragraphing is skillful and logical; uses a wide range of cohesive devices appropriately with rare minor issues
7	Logically organizes information; clear progression throughout the essay; uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately (though some may be mechanical)
6	Arranges information coherently; clear overall progression present; uses cohesive devices appropriately, though they may be repetitive or occasionally faulty
5	Arranges information poorly; may lack overall progression; limited or inaccurate cohesive devices; paragraphing may be overused, misused, or missing

Key Cohesive Devices to Learn

HoweverThereforeMoreoverFurthermoreIn additionConsequentlyNeverthelessOn the other handFirst/Second/ThirdIn conclusion

4.Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)

What it means: Vocabulary range, precision, collocations, spelling, and word formation.

Lexical Resource measures how wide your vocabulary is and how accurately you can select the correct words in the correct contexts:

Band	Description of Vocabulary Usage
8	Uses a wide vocabulary resource; rarely selects words wrongly; skillful use of less common and idiomatic items with rare minor errors in word choice/spelling
7	Uses a sufficient vocabulary for long, complex turns; uses less common and idiomatic items; shows awareness of style and collocation; occasional errors in word choice
6	Uses a sufficient vocabulary for the task; attempts to use less common items with some awareness of style and collocation; some errors in word choice/spelling
5	Uses an adequate vocabulary for familiar topics; limited or repetitive use of less common vocabulary; noticeable errors in word choice, spelling, and word formation

How Our App Helps

Our vocabulary platform specifically targets the IELTS Lexical Resource requirements by providing:

Topic-specific vocabulary lists: Target high-scoring IELTS domains (Environment, Education, Technology, Health) to help you stand out.
Common collocations: Learn phrases exactly as native speakers write them (e.g., mitigate climate change instead of stop climate change).
Less common / idiomatic expressions: Seamlessly integrate higher-level structures to unlock Band 7+ criteria.
Word formation techniques: Master prefixes and suffixes to accurately adapt word forms.

5.Grammatical Range and Accuracy

What it means: Sentence variety (simple vs complex structures), error frequency, punctuation.

Grammatical Range evaluates the variety of structures you attempt (such as passive voice, conditional structures, and relative clauses). Accuracy measures how many of your sentences are completely error-free:

Band	Description of Grammatical Usage
8	Uses a wide range of structures; majority of sentences are error-free; makes only very occasional, minor, or systematic errors
7	Uses a variety of complex structures; frequent error-free sentences; has good control over grammar and punctuation despite some minor errors
6	Uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms; makes some errors in grammar and punctuation, but they do not impede communication
5	Uses only a limited range of structures; attempts complex sentences but they are less accurate; grammatical/punctuation errors may impede communication

6.Differences Between Task 1 and Task 2 Assessment

While evaluated on the same 4 core parameters, the practical application, length, and scoring weight differ completely between the two tasks:

Aspect	Writing Task 1	Writing Task 2
First Criterion Name	Task Achievement	Task Response
Word Count	150 words minimum	250 words minimum
Weighting	Less weight (approx. 1/3 of writing score)	More weight (approx. 2/3 of writing score)
Recommended Time	20 minutes	40 minutes
Focus	Data accuracy, overview paragraph, reporting key features	Position development, argument progression, detailed examples

7.Disclaimer & Sources

This guide is compiled for educational and informational purposes only. It is styled based on official IELTS writing band descriptors published for public review. For authoritative, fully detailed, and up-to-date band descriptor PDFs, please visit ielts.org.

* IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. IELTS Vocabs is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any of these official organizations.