IELTS Writing Task 2 Marking Criteria Explained by a Former Examiner
Last reviewed: 16 September 2026
This guide explains the publicly available IELTS Writing criteria using my experience as a former IELTS examiner. It does not disclose confidential materials and is not published on behalf of IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge.
Quick answer
IELTS Writing Task 2 is assessed using four equally weighted criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each criterion is assessed independently, and the task score is based on the average of those four assessments.
The four criteria are equally weighted within Task 2. Separately, Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the final IELTS Writing score.
Task 1 is assessed against Task Achievement rather than Task Response, and carries conventions of its own — letter types, format and structure covers them separately.
Source: official IELTS Writing assessment guidance.
What examiners actually do when marking
Trained and certificated IELTS examiners assess the response against published band descriptors. The score is not based simply on whether the essay “sounds good” overall. Each criterion directs the examiner to assess a different aspect of the response.
What's publicly documented and confirmed
- Examiners are trained and certificated
- The published descriptors guide assessment
- Each task is assessed independently
- Each Task 2 criterion is weighted equally
- Task 2 carries twice the weight of Task 1 in the final Writing score
This article draws on my experience as a former examiner to explain how that descriptor language shows up in real writing — but it doesn't claim to describe internal procedures, reading order, or checking processes that IELTS hasn't published.
The four criteria: what changes between bands 6, 7 and 8
These are practical explanations of the published descriptors, not replacement band descriptors. A response is assessed as a whole against the complete official scale. See the official IELTS Writing band descriptors.
Task Response: What Changes Between Bands 6, 7 and 8
| Band | Typical practical distinction |
|---|---|
| 6 | Addresses the task but may leave part insufficiently developed, unclear, or only partly supported |
| 7 | Addresses the main requirements with a clear position and generally developed, relevant ideas |
| 8 | Responds sufficiently and directly, with a well-developed position and ideas that are relevant and extended |
What commonly limits the score: a position that shifts or weakens partway through the essay; ideas stated but not developed with explanation or example.
Coherence and Cohesion: What Changes Between Bands 6, 7 and 8
| Band | Typical practical distinction |
|---|---|
| 6 | Organises information with some effectiveness, but paragraphing or linking may be mechanical or unclear at times |
| 7 | Logically organises information with clear progression throughout; uses cohesive devices flexibly |
| 8 | Sequences information and ideas logically with skilful management of cohesion, rarely needing to rely on obvious linking devices |
What commonly limits the score: overreliance on a fixed set of linking words rather than natural logical flow; paragraphs that don't correspond to a clear controlling idea.
Lexical Resource: What Changes Between Bands 6, 7 and 8
| Band | Typical practical distinction |
|---|---|
| 6 | Uses an adequate range of vocabulary, with some errors in word choice, spelling, or word formation |
| 7 | Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow flexibility and precision, with only occasional inaccuracies |
| 8 | Uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meaning, with rare errors |
What commonly limits the score: vocabulary chosen to sound impressive rather than to fit the meaning precisely; repeated misuse of near-synonyms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: What Changes Between Bands 6, 7 and 8
| Band | Typical practical distinction |
|---|---|
| 6 | Uses a mixture of simple and complex sentence forms. Grammar and punctuation errors remain, but they rarely prevent the reader from understanding the meaning |
| 7 | Uses a variety of complex structures with good control; occasional errors do not reduce clarity |
| 8 | Uses a wide range of structures flexibly and accurately. Most sentences are error-free, and any remaining errors are occasional and do not form a persistent pattern |
What commonly limits the score: attempting complex structures without control, producing errors that make meaning unclear rather than demonstrating range.
Half bands sit between these descriptions, and the step from 6.5 to 7 is the one candidates ask about most — what usually holds a Writing score at 6.5 looks at that gap across both tasks.
Why “more advanced” does not automatically mean a higher band
Examiners assess the quality and control of the language you use — not how ambitious it appears at first glance. Three common misconceptions:
- More advanced vocabulary is not better when it is inaccurate or unnatural.
- Longer sentences are not better when control breaks down.
- More linking words do not create coherence when the ideas themselves are poorly organised.
If a recurring pattern like this is keeping your score in place, Why Your IELTS Writing Score Is Not Improving walks through how to identify it in your own writing.
Not sure which criterion is holding back your writing?
Submit two writing tasks for individual feedback, an estimated CLB level for each response, and an explanation of the recurring patterns affecting Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
Get Writing Feedback →If your immigration target is CLB 9, see the exact IELTS scores required for CLB 9.
FAQ
- Do examiners read the whole essay or skim it?
- The complete response must be assessed against all four criteria. This article does not claim a particular reading sequence or number of readings, because IELTS does not publicly prescribe those details for candidates. Write so that your position, paragraph purpose, and progression are clear without requiring the reader to reconstruct your meaning.
- Does handwriting or typing speed affect the score?
- Neither handwriting style nor typing speed is a separate assessment criterion. However, the examiner must be able to read and understand the response. Illegible writing can prevent language from being assessed, while slow typing may leave the response incomplete. Spelling and punctuation remain relevant to the assessment.
- Is one criterion weighted more heavily?
- No. The four Task 2 criteria are equally weighted. Task 2 as a whole, however, contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the final Writing score.
- Can a strong score in one criterion compensate for a weak score in another?
- To some extent, because the four criterion assessments contribute equally to the Task 2 score. However, strength in one area does not remove a weakness in another. For example, sophisticated vocabulary cannot correct an essay that fails to answer the task fully. Candidates seeking a higher band generally need reasonably balanced performance across all four criteria.
- Can I see my score broken down by criterion?
- A standard IELTS Test Report Form gives one overall Writing band rather than displaying separate scores for Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Detailed professional feedback can estimate how a response performs across the four criteria, but it is not an official IELTS result.
- Does writing more than 250 words improve the score?
- No additional band is awarded simply for exceeding 250 words. You need to write at least 250 words, but a longer essay helps only when the additional writing remains relevant, well developed, and accurately expressed. Writing substantially more can also leave less time for checking.