IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Band Descriptors: Student Guide and Free PDF

How to use this guide: read your current band and target band, then choose one improvement in each criterion. These are simplified Master English explanations, not the official IELTS descriptors. Band 9: This does not mean perfect English. Very rare small mistakes can still happen.

The two-page PDF has a single-page comparison table followed by a glossary. It is A3 landscape; use the online version for comfortable reading on a phone.

Band 9

Task Achievement

Did you complete the task?

You fully complete the task.
You choose and present all the important information extremely well.
Almost nothing important is missing or unclear.

Coherence And Cohesion

Is your answer easy to follow?

Your answer is extremely easy to follow.
Your ideas are in the best order.
Your paragraphs work very well.
You connect ideas naturally.

Lexical Resource

Do you use enough words correctly?

You use a very wide range of words naturally and correctly.
You choose words that express exactly what you mean.
Very rare small vocabulary or spelling mistakes may occur.

Grammatical Range And Accuracy

Can you use different sentences correctly?

You use many different sentence structures naturally and correctly.
Your grammar and punctuation are excellent.
Very rare small mistakes may occur.

Band 8

Task Achievement

Did you complete the task?

You complete the task very well.
You clearly show the most important features.
You give a clear overview of the main information.
Only occasional information may be missing or not fully explained.

Coherence And Cohesion

Is your answer easy to follow?

Your answer is very easy to follow.
Your ideas are in a clear, logical order.
Your paragraphs work well.
You connect ideas very well, with only occasional problems.

Lexical Resource

Do you use enough words correctly?

You use a wide range of words correctly and naturally.
You can use more specific or advanced words well.
Occasional mistakes in word choice, natural word combinations or spelling may occur.

Grammatical Range And Accuracy

Can you use different sentences correctly?

You use a wide range of sentence structures.
Most sentences have no grammar errors.
Only occasional grammar or punctuation mistakes occur.

Band 7

Task Achievement

Did you complete the task?

You cover the task requirements.
You give a clear overview of the main trends, differences or stages.
You clearly show the important features.
Some features or numbers could be explained more fully.

Coherence And Cohesion

Is your answer easy to follow?

Your answer is easy to follow.
Your ideas are in a clear order.
Your paragraphs generally work well.
You use different linking words and words such as this, these, it and they to connect ideas.

Lexical Resource

Do you use enough words correctly?

You have enough vocabulary to express your ideas clearly.
You can use some more specific or advanced words correctly.
You usually choose words that naturally go together.
A few word-choice or spelling mistakes may occur.

Grammatical Range And Accuracy

Can you use different sentences correctly?

You use different types of complex sentences.
Many sentences have no grammar errors.
A few mistakes occur, but your meaning remains clear.

Band 6

Task Achievement

Did you complete the task?

You address the task requirements.
You attempt a relevant overview and identify important features.
You support your description with relevant numbers or details.
Some details may be missing, unnecessary or inaccurate.

Coherence And Cohesion

Is your answer easy to follow?

Your answer is generally easy to follow.
There is a clear overall order.
You use linking words, but sometimes they sound mechanical or are used incorrectly.
You may repeat words or ideas when the connection is unclear.

Lexical Resource

Do you use enough words correctly?

You have enough vocabulary to communicate your meaning.
You try some more specific or advanced words, but not always correctly.
Some word-choice or spelling mistakes occur.
The reader can still understand your meaning.

Grammatical Range And Accuracy

Can you use different sentences correctly?

You use both simple and complex sentences.
Your complex sentences are less accurate than your simple sentences.
Grammar and punctuation mistakes occur.
These mistakes rarely stop the reader understanding you.

Band 5

Task Achievement

Did you complete the task?

You generally address the task, but important features are not covered well enough.
You may list details instead of giving a clear overview.
You may use little or no data to support what you say.
You may focus too much on small details and miss the main picture.

Coherence And Cohesion

Is your answer easy to follow?

Your answer has some organisation, but the order is not always clear.
Some ideas do not connect smoothly.
You may repeat or incorrectly use linking words.
You may repeat words or ideas too often.

Lexical Resource

Do you use enough words correctly?

Your vocabulary is limited but enough for basic meaning.
You may repeat the same words because you cannot find alternatives.
Some words are used incorrectly.
Spelling or word-form mistakes can sometimes make your meaning difficult to understand.

Grammatical Range And Accuracy

Can you use different sentences correctly?

You use a limited range of sentence structures.
You try complex sentences, but they often contain mistakes.
Grammar and punctuation mistakes are frequent.
Some mistakes make your meaning difficult to understand.

Below the lowest band shown: Important parts of the task may be missing and language problems increasingly affect meaning.

What do these words mean?

Plain-English explanations of the assessment language used above.

Overview: The part where you describe the biggest or most important things you can see. Do not list every detail or number.
Key features: The most important information in the graph, chart, table, map or process.
Trend: The general direction of change, for example increasing, decreasing or staying stable.
Supporting data: Numbers, dates, percentages or other details that prove or illustrate what you say.
Main stages: The most important steps in a process, shown in the correct order.
Linking words: Words and phrases that connect ideas, such as and, but, because, so, however, for example, also and on the other hand.
Complex sentence: A sentence that joins a main idea to another clause, often using words such as because, although, if, when, which or who.
Word choice: Choosing the word that gives the meaning you want.
Words that naturally go together: Common word combinations. For example, we say make a decision, not do a decision.
Relevant: Directly connected to the question or task. Do not include information that does not help answer it.

Questions about IELTS band scores

How is my score assessed?

Each Writing task is assessed against four equally weighted criteria. Task 1 uses Task Achievement; Task 2 uses Task Response. Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy apply to both tasks. Task 2 carries twice the weight of Task 1 in your Writing result.

Does Band 9 mean perfect English?

No. Very rare slips can still occur. Look at the complete descriptor across all four criteria, rather than counting individual mistakes.

Will advanced vocabulary automatically improve my band?

No. Words need to express the intended meaning accurately and naturally. Precise, appropriate language matters more than inserting difficult words or memorised expressions.

Can I use this guide to predict my exact band?

Use it to understand feedback and plan practice, not to guarantee a score. An examiner applies the official descriptors to your complete performance; strengths in one criterion do not cancel every weakness in another.

Put the criteria into practice

Use feedback to choose what to practise next, rather than trying to improve everything at once.

Explore our IELTS Writing course Try timed Writing practice

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Source: IDP IELTS Australia — official Writing band descriptors. Consult the official descriptors for the full assessment wording.

© 2026 Master English Australia — original explanations and layout. Official IELTS descriptors belong to their respective rights holders. This independent study guide is not an official IELTS publication.