1. Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors Scoring criteria for Academic and General Training tests A script must fully fit the positive features of the descriptor at a particular level. Bolded text indicates negative features that will limit a rating. Task Response Coherence & Cohesion Lexical Resource
2. Band Score The prompt is appropriately addressed and explored in depth. The message can be followed effortlessly. Full flexibility and precise use are widely evident. A clear and fully developed position is presented which directly answers the question/s. Cohesion is used in such a way that it very rarely attracts attention. A wide range of vocabulary is used
3. 9 Ideas are relevant fully extended and well supported. Any lapses in coherence or cohesion are minimal.
4. accurately and appropriately with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features. Any lapses in content or support are extremely rare. Paragraphing is skilfully managed. Minor errors in spelling and word formation are extremely rare and have minimal impact on communication.
5. The prompt is appropriately and sufficiently addressed. The message can be followed with ease. A wide resource is fluently and flexibly used to convey precise meanings. A clear and well-developed position is presented in response to the question/s.
6. 8 Ideas are relevant well extended and supported. Occasional lapses in coherence and cohesion may occur.
7. idiomatic items when appropriate despite occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. There may be occasional omissions or lapses in content. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately.
8. Occasional errors in spelling and/or word formation may occur but have minimal impact on communication.
9. The main parts of the prompt are appropriately addressed. Information and ideas are logically organised and there is a clear progression throughout A clear and developed position is presented. the response. (A few lapses may occur but these are minor.) There is some ability to use less common and/or idiomatic items.
10. 7 Main ideas are extended and supported but there may be a tendency to over-generalise or there may be a lack of focus and precision in supporting ideas/material.
11. An awareness of style and collocation is evident though inappropriacies occur. There are only a few errors in spelling and/or word formation and they do not detract from overall clarity.
12. Paragraphing is generally used effectively to support overall coherence and the sequencing of ideas within a paragraph is generally logical.
13. Updated May 2023 Please visit IELTS.org for updates Page 1 Grammatical Range & Accuracy A wide range of structures is used with full flexibility and control. Punctuation and grammar are used appropriately throughout. Minor errors are extremely rare and have minimal impact on communication. A wide range of structures is flexibly and accurately used. The majority of sentences are error-free and punctuation is well managed. Occasional non-systematic errors and inappropriacies occur but have minimal impact on communication. A variety of complex structures is used with some flexibility and accuracy. Grammar and punctuation are generally well controlled and error-free sentences are frequent. A few errors in grammar may persist but these do not impede communication.
14. Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors Scoring criteria for Academic and General Training tests A script must fully fit the positive features of the descriptor at a particular level. Bolded text indicates negative features that will limit a rating. Task Response Coherence & Cohesion Lexical Resource
15. Band Score The main parts of the prompt are addressed (though some may be more fully covered than others). An appropriate format is used. Information and ideas are generally arranged coherently and there is a clear overall progression. A position is presented that is directly relevant to the prompt although the conclusions drawn may be unclear unjustified or repetitive.
16. 6 Main ideas are relevant but some may be insufficiently developed or may lack clarity while some supporting arguments and evidence may be less relevant or inadequate. The use of reference and substitution may lack flexibility or clarity and result in some repetition or error.
17. Paragraphing may not always be logical and/or the central topic may not always be clear.
18. Updated May 2023 Please visit IELTS.org for updates Page 2 Grammatical Range & Accuracy A mix of simple and complex sentence forms is used but flexibility is limited. Examples of more complex structures are not marked by the same level of accuracy as in simple structures. Errors in grammar and punctuation occur but rarely impede communication.
19. The main parts of the prompt are incompletely addressed. The Organisation is evident but is not wholly logical and there may be a lack of overall progression. The resource is limited but minimally adequate for the task. The range of structures is limited and rather repetitive.
20. 5 The writer expresses a position but the development is not always clear. The relationship of ideas can be followed but the sentences are not fluently linked to each other. Some main ideas are put forward but they are limited and are not sufficiently developed and/or there may be irrelevant detail.
21. There may be some repetition. There may be limited/overuse of cohesive devices with some inaccuracy. Punctuation may be faulty. The writing may be repetitive due to inadequate and/or inaccurate use of reference and substitution.
22. Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors Updated May 2023 Scoring criteria for Academic and General Training tests A script must fully fit the positive features of the descriptor at a particular level. Bolded text indicates negative features that will limit a rating.
23. Please visit IELTS.org for updates Page 3 Band Score Task Response Coherence & Cohesion Lexical Resource Grammatical Range & Accuracy
24. The prompt is tackled in a minimal way or the answer is tangential possibly due to some misunderstanding of the prompt. The format may be inappropriate. A position is discernible but the reader has to read carefully to find it.
25. 4 Main ideas are difficult to identify and such ideas that are identifiable may lack relevance clarity and/or support. Large parts of the response may be repetitive.
26. There may be no paragraphing and/or no clear main topic within paragraphs. No part of the prompt is adequately addressed or the prompt has been misunderstood. There is no apparent logical organisation. Ideas are discernible but difficult to relate to each other.
27. 3 The relationship of ideas can be followed but there is difficulty in identifying referencing. Any attempts at paragraphing are unhelpful. The content is barely related to the prompt.
28. There is little relevant message or the entire response may be off-topic. 2 No position can be identified. There is little evidence of control of organisational features. There may be glimpses of one or two ideas without development.
29. Responses of 20 words or fewer are rated at Band 1. 1 The content is wholly unrelated to the prompt. The writing fails to communicate any message and appears to be by a virtual non-writer. No resource is apparent except for a few isolated words.
30. 0 Should only be used where a candidate did not attend or attempt the question in any way used a language other than English throughout or where there is proof that a candidate’s answer has been totally memorised. Image Format: Portable Network Graphic (PNG) Bits Per Pixel: 24 Color: Truecolor Dimensions: 249 x 112 Interlaced: Yes Image Format: Portable Network Graphic (PNG) Bits Per Pixel: 24 Color: Truecolor Dimensions: 249 x 112 Interlaced: Yes
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