How to Use the IELTS Band Descriptors to Check Your Writing and Understand Your Band

Preparing for the IELTS Writing test can feel overwhelming, but understanding how your writing is assessed is perhaps one of the most important places to start. The IELTS Writing Band Descriptors are the official guidelines that examiners use to assess your answers. Knowing how they work can help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement, giving you a clear path to a higher score. Let’s break it down step by step!

What are the band descriptors?

The IELTS Writing Band Descriptors are detailed criteria divided into four categories. Each one contributes equally to your final score:

1.      Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2)
Are you answering every part of the question fully and clearly?

2.      Coherence and Cohesion
Is your writing logical and well-organised?

3.      Lexical Resource
Are you using a range of vocabulary accurately?

4.      Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Are your sentences correct and varied in structure?

Each category is scored from Band 0 to Band 9.

Click here for the full Band Descriptors.

Identify your target band score

This is the band score that you NEED, not the one that you WANT. We would all like to get a Band 9 in IELTS but there’s no point in exhausting yourself or potentially making more mistakes by aiming for a band score that you don’t need. Find out from the institution you are applying to which band score you need.

We’re going to use a Band 7 as an example for this blog but if you require a different band, repeat these steps using the language of that band score.

Focus on one criterion at a time

There is a lot of information to process in the IELTS Band Descriptors and it would be almost impossible to address absolutely everything the very first time you write. So deal with each criterion in turn. We are going to look at Task Response in this blog post.

Transform each sentence of the band description into Yes/No questions

Task Response

·         The main parts of the prompt are appropriately addressed. → Does my answer cover the main parts of the prompt?

For example, if the question asks for problems and solutions, have you included them both in your answer?

·         A clear and developed position is presented. → Is my position clear? Is my position developed?

No matter the question type, your own opinion, your position needs to be included. As well as this, it should be developed. That means you need to refer back to your position throughout your answer.

·         Main ideas are extended and supported but there may be a tendency to over-generalise or there may be a lack of focus and precision in supporting ideas/material. → Have I extended main ideas? Have I supported my main ideas?

Look at how you are supporting your arguments. You might use examples from your own world knowledge or experience of the topic. You can also provide reasons for your arguments, or outline the effects of your arguments.

Use a checklist

Once you have written out the band descriptors as questions, this is the checklist you can use to assess your writing. You might want to format this into a table, like the one below:

Answer the questions honestly

Now you are ready to read through your writing and answer your questions.

The example questions we have provided for Task Response are simple, straightforward, Yes or No questions. If you are finding it difficult to say ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, it may be that this point is not clear enough in your writing. If it’s not clear enough to you, the writer, then it’s likely that it’s not going to be clear enough for the examiner either. This means you would not be awarded that band score, in this example a Band 7, and the examiner would have to look at the band below. You can do the same and ask yourself questions of the band below, have you done enough to achieve that band?

You can also ask for some help with this. Ask friends, family or anyone you know who is also studying English to read your writing and answer your Band Descriptor questions or use your checklist. Remember that only honest answers help you to improve so be prepared to hear something you might not like. A good friend will tell you the truth!

Repeat the process for each criterion

Between now and your test date, you’ll be doing a lot of writing practice. It’s a good idea as you start, to take a focused approach to your writing. For example, focus on Task Response the first time you review your writing, Coherence and Cohesion the second time and so on. This focused approach allows you to really analyse and understand each criterion in turn and avoid feeling overwhelmed by all of the band descriptors all at once.

Bring it all together

No one criterion is more important than the other, but you might notice that you need to work on one of the four a little bit further. If you can recognise this, that’s a great sign! This means you are able to reflect well on your own writing and are making an informed choice on where to spend your preparation time.

On the test day, we want you to feel confident in what you are aiming for and have a good understanding of how to achieve your desired band in all four criteria. The more you practise with the band descriptors now, the more you will have that feeling of confidence in what you need to demonstrate to the examiner.

Let us help you

We would love to help you further in meeting your required band score. Please do make the most of our available resources : read our blogs, sign up for our free monthly live lessons, and purchase our lessons on all 4 skills on-demand.

Team IELTS is here to help you preparing for your test.

Good luck!