Writing and Speaking are marked on four criteria, each given a whole band from 0 to 9. The task band is the average of the four criteria, and your overall IELTS band is the average of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, rounded to the nearest half band.
At a glance
- Writing criteria
- Task Achievement or Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Speaking criteria
- Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Pronunciation
- Writing band
- Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1
- Overall band
- Average of four modules: .25 rounds up to .5, .75 up to the next band
What it means in practice
- Band 7 in Task Response means a clear position throughout, with main ideas extended and supported. Band 6 addresses the task, but some parts more fully than others.
- Band 7 in Coherence and Cohesion means logical organisation and a range of linking words used naturally. At Band 6, linking can feel mechanical.
- Band 7 in Lexical Resource means some less common words used with awareness of style and collocation. Band 6 has an adequate range with some errors.
- Band 7 in Grammar means frequent error-free sentences and a variety of complex structures. Band 6 mixes simple and complex forms with some errors.
- In Speaking, Band 7 fluency means speaking at length without noticeable effort; Band 6 means willing to speak at length but losing coherence at times.
Common mistakes
- Thinking one great criterion can carry the band. A weak criterion pulls the average down.
- Writing under the word limit, which limits Task Achievement or Task Response.
- Using rare words incorrectly. Accuracy matters as much as range.
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