IELTS Writing band descriptors: Task 1 and Task 2 explained

Three criteria are shared. Only the first one changes between the tasks, and it is the one that decides whether you did what the task asked.

Task Achievement in the Academic report is about selection and accuracy. IELTS calls Academic Task 1 an information-transfer task (key assessment criteria): you pick out the key features, give a clear overview of the main trends or differences and support them with figures, without speculating beyond the data. In practice, a missing overview often keeps a report at band 5 or 6.

Task Achievement in the General Training letter is about the three bullet points, the purpose and the tone. Each bullet has to be covered and developed, the reader must be able to tell why you are writing, and the register has to suit the person you are writing to from greeting to sign-off.

Task Response in the essay is about the question itself. You must answer every part of it, take a position the reader can identify and keep it consistent, and develop your main ideas with explanation and examples instead of listing them.

Most candidates are working between band 5 and band 7, so this table compares those three levels criterion by criterion. It is our own summary; the detailed guides linked below cover every band from 9 to 4.

Each task is scored on its four criteria, which carry equal weight, and the task score is their average (ielts.org). The two tasks are then combined, with Task 2 contributing twice as much as Task 1 (Academic Writing format, General Training Writing format).

ielts.org does not publish the exact arithmetic or rounding for combining the two tasks. As an informal estimate only, a Task 1 at 6 and a Task 2 at 7 point to a Writing band around 6.5 to 7. The practical lesson is the weighting: a stronger essay moves your Writing band more than a stronger report or letter, so protect your 40 minutes for Task 2.

From ielts.org: Task 1 needs at least 150 words and Task 2 at least 250. A short answer may not show enough for the higher bands; writing more is not penalised. Off-topic answers and answers written as notes or bullet points are penalised, and plagiarism is severely penalised (Academic, General Training).

From the Writing descriptors PDF: a response of 20 words or fewer is rated band 1, wording copied from the question is not counted, and band 0 is kept for no attempt, an answer entirely in another language, or an answer proven to be completely memorised.

Writing Task 2 band descriptors explains every criterion for the essay from band 9 to 4. Academic Writing Task 1 band descriptors covers graph, chart, map and process reports. General Training Writing Task 1 band descriptors covers the letter. For Speaking, see the Speaking band descriptors, and for how both skills fit together, the band descriptors overview.

In BandLadder practice data (895 scored Task 1 and Task 2 responses), Grammatical Range and Accuracy was the lowest or joint-lowest criterion in 84% of responses, and 56% scored below band 6. Task 2 essays under 200 words averaged band 3.9, against 5.8 at 250 to 299 words; stronger writers also write more, so that is an association, not a rule. Full tables are in IELTS Writing statistics.

Write a Task 2 essay in 40 minutes, then review it one criterion at a time. Underline your position and check that every body paragraph supports it; mark each linking word and ask whether it is needed; circle words you repeated; and count how many sentences are fully correct.

For a second opinion, paste the essay into the free IELTS Writing checker, which scores it on the same four criteria and shows which one is lowest. That is a practice estimate for one response, not an official IELTS score. Fix the weakest criterion, rewrite the essay and compare. Model answers are in the Task 2 sample essays.