How is the IELTS Writing score calculated?
Quick answer
Certified IELTS examiners mark each of the two Writing tasks on four criteria: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. IELTS.org states that Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1. The Writing score is reported as a whole or half band.
Part of The IELTS Speaking test, answered
Practise the thing this page describes out loud in the app and get it scored on all four criteria.
iOS and Android
Unlike Listening and Reading, Writing has no answer key. A certified examiner reads what you wrote and judges it against published descriptors. The system is more transparent than most candidates realise, because the descriptors themselves are public.
The four criteria
IELTS.org states that examiners award a score for each of four criteria.
- Task Achievement (Task 1) and Task Response (Task 2). Did you do what the task asked? In Academic Task 1 that means an overview and the key features of the data. In General Training Task 1 it means covering the bullet points in the right tone. In Task 2 it means answering the question with a clear position and developed ideas.
- Coherence and Cohesion. Is the writing organised, with clear progression, paragraphing and linking?
- Lexical Resource. How wide and precise is your vocabulary, and how accurate is your spelling and word formation?
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy. How varied are your sentence structures, and how often do errors get in the way?
The two tasks
Task 1 asks for at least 150 words and Task 2 for at least 250, with 60 minutes in total: about 20 minutes for Task 1 and about 40 for Task 2. IELTS.org states that Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score. A strong essay therefore protects your band more than a strong report does.
From marks to a band
IELTS.org states that each task is assessed independently, that the four criteria are weighted equally, and that the score on each task is the average of the four. Task 2 then counts twice as much as Task 1. The Writing result is reported as a whole or half band, for example 6.5 or 7.0.
What IELTS.org does not publish is the exact step from the two task scores to that reported band. The public band descriptors add that a response must fully fit the positive features of a level, and that negative features written in bold limit a rating.
What to do with this
Since the criteria are public, you can check a piece of your own writing against them one at a time. The Writing band descriptors on this site put the wording into a page you can browse, and the official PDF is linked below. The single Writing band then joins your other three sections in the overall score, where each section counts equally.
What this means for your score
Two candidates each write a competent Task 1 report at band 6 level. One writes a Task 2 essay at band 7 level and the other at band 6 level. Because Task 2 carries twice the weight, the essay decides more of the Writing band than the report does, and time spent on Task 2 is the better investment when you are short of it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Task 2 really count for more than Task 1?
Yes. IELTS.org states that Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score, and that the assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking. IELTS.org suggests about 20 of the 60 minutes for Task 1 and about 40 for Task 2.
Who marks IELTS Writing?
IELTS.org states that certified IELTS examiners assess your performance on each Writing task. They use the published band descriptors, which describe what a response looks like at each band for each of the four criteria. The public descriptors are the same ones you can read before you sit the test.
Does IELTS publish a formula for the Writing band?
Partly. IELTS.org states that each task is assessed independently, that the four criteria are weighted equally and that the score on each task is their average. Task 2 then contributes twice as much as Task 1. IELTS does not publish the exact step from the two task scores to the reported band, so treat any precise formula from elsewhere as a guess.
Are all four Writing criteria equal?
Yes. IELTS.org states that the Writing criteria are weighted equally and that the score on each task is the average of the four. The uneven weighting is between the tasks, with Task 2 contributing twice as much as Task 1. So a weak criterion lowers a task score by the same amount whichever criterion it is.
Sources
- IELTS Academic: Writing test format — IELTS.org
- IELTS General Training: Writing test format — IELTS.org
- IELTS scoring in detail: band scores explained — IELTS.org
- IELTS Writing band descriptors (public version) — IELTS.org
Last verified 30 Sep 2026
Practise this with instant AI feedback
Record your answer in the app and get your grammar, vocabulary, fluency and pronunciation analysed in seconds.