Marking Criteria
You are assessed on your performance on each task by certificated IELTS examiners according to the IELTS Writing test assessment criteria
- Task Achievement/Response,
- Coherence and Cohesion,
- Lexical Resource,
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
PERFORMANCE DESCRIPTORS
TASK-1
- Task achievement
This assesses how appropriately, accurately and relevantly the response fulfils the requirements set out in the task, using the minimum of 150 words. General Training Writing Task 1 is a writing task with a largely predictable output in that each task sets out the context and purpose of the letter and the functions the test taker should cover in order to achieve this purpose. - Coherence and cohesion
This assess the overall clarity and fluency of the message: how the response organises and links information, ideas and language. Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing. Cohesion refers to the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (for example, logical connectors, pronouns and conjunctions) to assist in making the conceptual and referential relationships between and within sentences clear. - Lexical resource
This refers to the range of vocabulary the test takers have used and the accuracy and appropriacy of use in terms of the specific task. - Grammatical range and accuracy
This refer to the range and accurate use of grammar, as manifested in the test takers’ sentence writing.
TASK-2
- Task response
In both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training versions, Task 2 requires test takers to formulate and develop a position in relation to a given prompt in the form of a question or statement. Ideas should be supported by evidence, and examples may be drawn from the test takers’ own experience. Responses must be at least 250 words in length. Scripts under the required minimum word limit will be penalised. - Coherence and cohesion
This assess the overall clarity and fluency of the message: how the response organises and links information, ideas and language. Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing. Cohesion refers to the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (for example, logical connectors, pronouns and conjunctions) to assist in making the conceptual and referential relationships between and within sentences clear. - Lexical resource
This criterion refers to the range of vocabulary used and its accuracy and appropriacy in terms of the specific task. - Grammatical range and accuracy
This assess the range and accurate use of grammar, as manifested in their test takers’ writing at sentence level.
CALCULATING YOUR SCORE
Each of the four criteria receives a score from 0 to 9 points. After that, an arithmetic mean is calculated to determine the task’s total score. For example, if Task 1 gets following marks:
- Task Achievement: 6.0,
- Coherence and Cohesion: 7.5,
- Lexical Resource: 7.0,
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy – 7.5.
then score for IELTS Task 1 is (6.0+7.5+7.0+7.5)/4 =7.0.
Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score, thus, Task 1 is worth 33% of the total mark in the Writing test. So, if you get 6.5 for task 2 and 7.0 for task 1, the total score for IELTS Writing Section is
6.5*(2/3) +(7.0) *1/3 = 6.666.
But scores are reported in whole and half bands. For instance:
- if you get an overall score of 5.25, it goes up to the band 5.5
- if it is 5.75 it will go up to band 6.0.
- if it is 5.1 it goes down to band 5.
Since 6.66 is less than 6.75, the final band score will be rounded to 6.5
