Many candidates prepare for IELTS Writing and Speaking without ever reading the actual band descriptors examiners use to score them — relying instead on general advice like "use more advanced vocabulary" or "speak fluently." But the descriptors are public, specific, and arguably the single most useful document for understanding exactly what separates a Band 6 from a Band 7. This guide breaks them down criterion by criterion.
How Scoring Works Across the Four Skills
| Skill | How It's Scored |
|---|---|
| Listening | Objective — raw score (out of 40) converted to a band via a fixed table |
| Reading | Objective — raw score (out of 40) converted to a band via a fixed table (Academic and General Training tables differ slightly) |
| Writing | Assessed by an examiner against 4 criteria, each scored 1–9, then averaged |
| Speaking | Assessed by an examiner against 4 criteria, each scored 1–9, then averaged |
Your Overall Band Score is the average of your four skill bands, rounded to the nearest 0.5 (rounded up if the average ends in .25 or .75 — e.g., an average of 6.25 rounds to 6.5, but 6.75 also rounds to 7.0).
Writing: The Four Assessment Criteria
Each criterion is weighted equally (25%) for both Task 1 and Task 2 — though Task 2 counts for twice as much toward your overall Writing band as Task 1.
1. Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2)
Does your response address all parts of the task, with an appropriate format and sufficient development?
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Addresses the task, but some parts may be inadequately covered; main points present but may lack focus |
| Band 7 | Covers all requirements of the task; addresses all parts, with a clear position (Task 2) and clear overview (Task 1) |
| Band 8 | Sufficiently addresses all parts; presents a well-developed response with relevant, extended ideas |
Most common Band 6→7 gap: missing a clear overview in Task 1, or an unclear/inconsistent position in Task 2.
2. Coherence and Cohesion
Is the response logically organised, with appropriate use of paragraphing, linking, and referencing?
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Information is arranged coherently, but cohesive devices may be inaccurate or overused/mechanical |
| Band 7 | Logically organises information with clear progression throughout; uses a range of cohesive devices, though not always appropriately |
| Band 8 | Sequences information logically; uses a range of cohesive devices flexibly, with only occasional lapses |
Most common Band 6→7 gap: over-reliance on a small set of memorised linking words (see our Linking Words and Cohesive Devices guide), rather than logical paragraphing and referencing.
3. Lexical Resource
How wide and accurate is your vocabulary range, including spelling?
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Adequate range for the task; attempts less common vocabulary, but with inaccuracies; some spelling errors that don't impede communication |
| Band 7 | Sufficient range to allow flexibility and precision; uses less common vocabulary with some awareness of style/collocation, though some errors remain |
| Band 8 | Wide range fluently and flexibly used to convey precise meanings; skilful use of less common items, with only occasional errors |
Most common Band 6→7 gap: vocabulary range is adequate but not precise — words are "roughly right" rather than the most accurate word for the context.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
How varied are your sentence structures, and how accurate is your grammar?
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Mix of simple and complex sentences; some errors in complex structures, but these rarely reduce communication |
| Band 7 | Variety of complex structures; frequent error-free sentences, though some grammar/punctuation errors persist |
| Band 8 | Wide range of structures used with flexibility and accuracy; majority of sentences are error-free |
Most common Band 6→7 gap: complex sentences are attempted but contain errors frequently enough to be noticeable — the fix is not avoiding complexity, but increasing accuracy within complex structures.
Speaking: The Four Assessment Criteria
1. Fluency and Coherence
Can you speak at length without undue hesitation, with logical organisation of ideas?
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Willing to speak at length, though may lose coherence due to hesitation, repetition, or self-correction |
| Band 7 | Speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence; may demonstrate language-related hesitation at times |
| Band 8 | Speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or self-correction, usually content-related, not language-related |
Key distinction between Band 6 and 7: at Band 6, hesitation is often caused by searching for words/grammar. At Band 7+, hesitation (if present) is more about thinking of ideas, not language.
2. Lexical Resource
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Sufficient vocabulary to discuss topics at length, though with some inappropriate word choice |
| Band 7 | Vocabulary resource enables some flexibility and precision; uses "some idiomatic vocabulary" with occasionally inappropriate choices |
| Band 8 | Wide vocabulary resource used fluently to convey precise meanings; skilful use of idiomatic language |
3. Grammatical Range and Accuracy
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Mix of simple and complex structures, but limited flexibility; errors persist, especially in complex forms |
| Band 7 | Range of complex structures with some flexibility; frequent error-free sentences, though some errors remain |
| Band 8 | Wide range of structures flexibly used; majority error-free, with only occasional inaccuracies |
4. Pronunciation
| Band | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Band 6 | Generally understood throughout, though mispronunciations may occasionally cause some difficulty |
| Band 7 | Shows "all the positive features of Band 6 and some, but not all, of Band 8" — uses a range of pronunciation features with some inconsistency |
| Band 8 | Wide range of pronunciation features used flexibly; minor lapses don't affect overall intelligibility |
Important: pronunciation is assessed on intelligibility and feature range (word stress, intonation, individual sounds) — not on having a particular accent. A strong regional accent that remains clear and uses appropriate features can still score highly.
Practical Takeaways
| If you're stuck at... | Focus your prep on... |
|---|---|
| Band 5–6 (Writing) | Task Achievement — fully answer every part of the question, with a clear position/overview |
| Band 6–7 (Writing) | Coherence (logical structure + referencing, not just linking words) and Grammatical Range (accurate complex sentences) |
| Band 6–7 (Speaking) | Reduce language-driven hesitation; practise extended answers in Part 2 without memorised scripts |
| Band 7–8 (either) | Precision — the right word/structure for the exact meaning, not just a "good enough" one; this is refined through high-volume practice with detailed feedback |
Get detailed band-level feedback with Gabble — AI-powered scoring against the actual IELTS criteria for Writing and Speaking, so you know exactly which criterion to improve next.