The Secret Sauce: How IELTS Writing is Actually Graded
Most students think examiners just read the essay and "feel" a score. Wrong. They follow a strict, mathematical rubric. Understanding this rubric is exactly how you hack the test.
The 4 Pillars (25% Each)
1. Task Achievement / Response (25%)
- Did you answer the question?
- Task 1: Did you include the overview? Did you highlight key features? (No overview = Automatic Band 5).
- Task 2: Did you give a clear position? Is it consistent?
2. Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
- How easy is it to read?
- Paragraphing: One central topic per paragraph.
- Linking: Can I follow your logic? (Note: Over-using logical connectors lowers your score!)
3. Lexical Resource (25%)
- Vocabulary.
- It is not about complex words. It is about precise words.
- Paraphrasing: Can you say the same thing in different ways without changing the meaning?
- Spelling: Frequent errors cap you at 6.0.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)
- Sentence Structures: Do you use Mix of Simple and Complex sentences?
- Error Density: How many "error-free" sentences do you have?
- Band 6: Mistakes don't block meaning.
- Band 7: Frequent error-free sentences (more than 50%).
The "Examiner Check" Strategy
Before you submit, act like an examiner. Read your essay 4 times, checking only ONE criteria each time.
- Read 1: Did I answer the prompt? (TR)
- Read 2: Does it flow? (CC)
- Read 3: Are my words precise? (LR)
- Read 4: Grammar check. (GRA)
Don't evaluate yourself.
Let our AI play the role of the Examiner. It is trained on thousands of essays.