IELTS Band Descriptors Explained: What Examiners Look For at Each Band
Updated 2 August 2026
IELTS Writing and Speaking are each marked on four criteria, every criterion scored from 0 to 9. Writing: Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. Speaking: Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Your skill band is the average of the four — so knowing what each criterion demands at your target band is the fastest way to raise your score.
How do the IELTS band descriptors work?
Examiners do not give a single impression mark. They score each of the four criteria separately against published descriptors, and your band for the skill is the average of the four criterion scores.
This has a practical consequence: an essay with impressive vocabulary can still score 6.0 overall if it drifts off the question (Task Response) or reads as a wall of loosely connected sentences (Coherence & Cohesion). Equally, a candidate who speaks accurately but in short, hesitant bursts is capped by Fluency & Coherence. The tables below paraphrase, in plain English, what the public descriptors ask for at bands 5 through 9 — the range where almost all university and visa requirements sit. For the examiners' exact wording, consult the official descriptor documents published by the IELTS partners.
What are the IELTS Writing band descriptors?
Writing is scored on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy — each worth a quarter of the mark. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1.
| Band | Task Response | Coherence & Cohesion | Lexical Resource | Grammatical Range & Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Every part of the question is fully explored; the position is completely developed with well-chosen, extended ideas. | Ideas flow so naturally that the linking never draws attention to itself; paragraphing is skilful throughout. | A very wide vocabulary used precisely and naturally; at most the rare minor slip. | Structures of every kind used flexibly and accurately; errors are no more than rare slips. |
| 8 | All parts of the task are dealt with well; a clear position supported by relevant, extended ideas, with only occasional thin patches. | Information and ideas are sequenced logically, transitions are managed well, and paragraphs are used appropriately. | A wide range of vocabulary conveys precise meanings fluently, including skilful use of less common words, with only occasional inaccuracy. | A wide range of structures; the large majority of sentences are error-free, with only very occasional mistakes. |
| 7 | The whole question is addressed with a clear position maintained throughout; ideas are extended and supported, though focus can slip or generalise in places. | Clear progression from start to finish; linking words are used well (occasionally over- or under-used) and each paragraph has one clear central topic. | Enough range to write with some flexibility and precision; less common vocabulary appears with some sense of style and collocation, alongside occasional wrong choices. | A variety of complex structures with good control; many sentences are error-free and remaining mistakes are minor. |
| 6 | All parts of the task are covered, though unevenly; the position is relevant but conclusions may blur or repeat; ideas are relevant but not fully developed. | Organisation is coherent with an overall progression; connectors are present but sometimes mechanical, faulty, or repetitive in their referencing. | Vocabulary is adequate for the task; attempts at less common words bring some inaccuracy, and spelling or word-form errors appear without blocking the message. | A mix of simple and complex sentence forms; errors in grammar and punctuation occur but rarely obscure meaning. |
| 5 | The task is tackled only partially; the position is not always clear, the format may be partly inappropriate, and ideas are limited or padded with irrelevant detail. | Some organisation is visible but the essay lacks steady progression; linkers are missing, wrong or overused, and weak referencing causes repetition. | A limited vocabulary that is only just sufficient; noticeable errors in spelling and word formation that can make reading difficult. | A narrow range of structures; complex sentences are attempted but frequently faulty, and errors can cause real difficulty for the reader. |
The table summarises the Task 2 criteria; Task 1 replaces Task Response with Task Achievement, which judges how well you report the chart, process or map (Academic) or fulfil the letter's purpose (General Training) — the other three criteria are the same. To see exactly where your own essays sit against these criteria, run one through the free IELTS writing checker, which scores all four criteria and explains what is holding each one down.
What are the IELTS Speaking band descriptors?
Speaking is scored on Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy, and Pronunciation, each contributing 25% of your Speaking band.
| Band | Fluency & Coherence | Lexical Resource | Grammatical Range & Accuracy | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Speaks fluently, pausing only to think about ideas rather than language; topics are developed fully and coherently. | Complete flexibility and precision; idiomatic language is used naturally and accurately across any topic. | The full range of structures used naturally and appropriately; consistently accurate apart from the kind of slips any fluent speaker makes. | The full range of pronunciation features — stress, rhythm, intonation — used with precision; effortless to understand throughout. |
| 8 | Fluent, with only occasional repetition or self-correction; hesitation is usually about content, not finding words; topics develop coherently and appropriately. | A wide resource conveys precise meaning readily; less common and idiomatic language is used skilfully, with effective paraphrase when needed. | A wide range of structures used flexibly; most sentences are error-free, with only very occasional inaccuracies. | A wide range of features sustained with only occasional lapses; easy to understand throughout, and any accent has minimal effect. |
| 7 | Speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence; some language-related hesitation, repetition or self-correction; connectives and discourse markers used with some flexibility. | Vocabulary is flexible enough to discuss a variety of topics; some less common and idiomatic items with an awareness of style, plus effective paraphrase. | A range of complex structures used with some flexibility; error-free sentences are frequent even though some grammatical mistakes persist. | Generally easy to understand throughout; a range of features such as sentence stress and intonation is used effectively, though control lapses at times. |
| 6 | Willing and able to keep going at length, though repetition, self-correction or hesitation sometimes costs coherence; a range of connectives, not always used accurately. | Enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length; meaning stays clear despite some inappropriate word choices, and paraphrase generally succeeds. | A mix of simple and complex forms, but with limited flexibility; complex structures often contain errors, though these rarely obscure meaning. | A range of pronunciation features with mixed control; occasional mispronunciations occur but clarity is only rarely reduced. |
| 5 | Usually maintains the flow of speech, but leans on repetition, self-correction and slower delivery to do so; certain connectives are overused; speaks freely only on familiar topics. | Can talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics, but with limited flexibility in word choice; paraphrase is attempted with mixed success. | Basic sentence forms are produced with reasonable accuracy; complex structures are limited in range and usually contain errors. | Understandable overall, but uneven stress, intonation or individual sounds sometimes make the listener work; some features are handled well, others inconsistently. |
Notice how much weight the criteria place on keeping going: hesitating to hunt for a "better" word usually costs more under Fluency & Coherence than the simpler word would ever cost under Lexical Resource. Build the habit with the free Speaking practice bank — real Part 1, 2 and 3 questions you can answer against the clock.
How should you use the band descriptors to raise your score?
Diagnose your weakest criterion first — your band rises fastest by fixing the lowest of the four scores, not by polishing what is already strong.
Read the row for your target band and the row below it, and identify which criterion's description of the lower band still sounds like your work: that is the one capping your average. Writing candidates most often lose to Task Response (drifting from the exact question) and Coherence & Cohesion (paragraphs without one clear idea); Speaking candidates most often lose to Fluency & Coherence. Half-bands come from averaging — for example criterion scores of 7, 7, 6 and 6 produce 6.5 — so a single criterion moving up one band lifts your skill score by half a band.
IELTS band descriptors FAQ
What are the IELTS band descriptors?
The band descriptors are the marking criteria IELTS examiners use to score Writing and Speaking. Each skill is assessed on four criteria, each scored from band 0 to 9, and your band for that skill is the average of the four criterion scores.
What are the four IELTS Writing criteria?
Task Response (Task Achievement for Task 1), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each is worth 25% of the task score, and Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in your final Writing band.
What are the four IELTS Speaking criteria?
Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Each contributes equally (25%) to your Speaking band.
What is the difference between band 6 and band 7 in Writing?
Band 7 answers stay clearly focused on the question with a position maintained throughout, use paragraphs each built around one central idea, deploy some less common vocabulary with mostly accurate word choice, and produce frequent error-free sentences. Band 6 answers cover the task but develop some parts thinly, link ideas somewhat mechanically, and make more frequent vocabulary and grammar errors — though meaning still comes through.
Are the band descriptors the same for Academic and General Training?
Yes for Speaking and for Writing Task 2. Writing Task 1 uses the same four criteria in both modules, but the first criterion (Task Achievement) is judged against different task types: a data/process description in Academic and a letter in General Training.
Put the descriptors to work
Get scored against these exact criteria, then practise the skills that are holding your band down.