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IELTS Writing is scored on four equally weighted criteria: Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The Writing Lab marks a submitted essay against each criterion, returns a band estimate with the specific evidence behind it, and produces a model rewrite so you can see what the next band up actually looks like.
Both tasks are compulsory and Task 2 carries twice the weight of Task 1 in the Writing band.
| Task 1 | Task 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum words | 150 | 250 |
| Suggested time | 20 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Weight in Writing band | One third | Two thirds |
| Academic version | Describe a chart, graph, table, map or process | Formal argumentative or discursive essay |
| General Training version | Write a formal, semi-formal or informal letter | Formal argumentative or discursive essay |
The most common ceiling is Task Response, not vocabulary. A band 6 essay usually answers part of the question, or answers it with general statements and no developed example.
The second most common ceiling is Coherence and Cohesion: paragraphs that contain more than one central idea, or linking words used mechanically rather than logically.
Under-length essays are penalised directly. Writing 230 words for Task 2 costs marks in Task Response regardless of how good the English is.
Band 9 model essays, letters and templates from the Writing library. Browse all 123 in the Learning Hub.
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At least 250 words. Aim for 260 to 290. Writing under 250 words is penalised in Task Response, and essays far above 300 words usually lose accuracy without gaining marks.
Task 1 and Task 2 are each scored against four criteria. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1, so the Writing band is roughly (Task 1 + 2 × Task 2) ÷ 3, rounded to the nearest half band.
AI marking gives a reliable indication of which criterion is limiting your band and produces consistent, immediate feedback across many drafts. It is an estimate against the published descriptors, not an official result.
Sparingly and only in Task 2 where the register allows. Lexical Resource rewards precision and collocation rather than idiom count, and misused idioms are marked as errors.
In the computer-delivered test there is no handwriting. Spelling still counts under Lexical Resource, and there is no spellchecker in the real exam.