IELTS Writing Band Scores: Calculation and Assessment Criteria

IELTS Writing Band Scores: Calculation and Assessment Criteria

The IELTS Writing test measures your ability to express ideas clearly and accurately in written English. Your writing is marked by trained IELTS examiners who assess it based on standardised global criteria.

In this guide, you’ll learn how IELTS Writing band scores are calculated, what examiners look for in your writing, and how your performance in Task 1 and Task 2 contributes to your overall band score.

How IELTS Writing Band Scores Are Calculated

Your IELTS Writing test is evaluated by two to four examiners to ensure fairness and accuracy. The same assessment criteria apply to both Academic and General Training Writing tests.

Each writing task is marked using four key criteria:

1. Task Achievement / Task Response – How well you address all parts of the question and support your ideas.

2. Coherence and Cohesion – How logically and smoothly your ideas connect, including paragraph structure and linking words.

3. Lexical Resource – The range, accuracy, and appropriateness of your vocabulary.

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The complexity and correctness of your sentence structures.

Each of these criteria is scored from Band 0 to Band 9. The average of the four scores forms your final IELTS Writing band score.

IELTS Writing Band Score Calculator

In the IELTS exam, there are two categories of scores. The raw score represents the number of correctly answered questions. This raw score is subsequently converted into the band score, which ranges from 0 to 9.

IELTS Writing Band Score Chart

Tips to Improve Your IELTS Writing Band Score

1. Understand the question fully before writing your introduction.

2. Plan your structure: Introduction, body, and conclusion.

3. Avoid repetition: Use a wider range of academic vocabulary.

4. Use varied sentence forms: Mix simple, compound, and complex sentences.

5. Check grammar and spelling before submitting.

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