IELTS Academic Writing: A Complete Guide to the Scoring Criteria to Break the Band 6.5 Barrier

Intermediate to advanced learners aiming for an Overall Band 6.5 or 7.0 in IELTS Academic Writing often face the "Band 6.0–6.5 plateau."

To overcome this plateau, simply writing what feels like a good essay is not enough. You must have a clear understanding of the four official scoring criteria (Band Descriptors) and refine your writing to align with what examiners look for to award a Band 7.

This article breaks down the key differences between Band 6.0 and 7.0 based on the official criteria and provides concrete strategies for improving your score.

What You'll Learn in This Article

• The Four Assessment Criteria: A detailed look at Task Achievement/Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy.
• The Nature of the 6.5 Plateau: Understanding the "some parts are Band 7, but others are stuck at Band 6" situation.
• The Fastest Path to Band 7: Specific, actionable steps for each assessment criterion.
• Checklists: High-score template elements for both Task 1 and Task 2.

1. The Official IELTS Writing Scoring Criteria: Assessment Across Four Areas

IELTS Writing, for both Task 1 (summary) and Task 2 (essay), is assessed based on the following four criteria. Each criterion is weighted equally (25%).

Table 1: The Four Writing Assessment Criteria (Academic)

Source: IELTS official "IELTS Writing key assessment criteria"

Important: The scoring criteria are publicly available as the Public Band Descriptors. Reading them carefully is the first step in your preparation.

2. Key Basics: Roles and Time Management for Task 1 & Task 2

• Task 1 (Approx. 20 mins / 150+ words): Objectively summarize and report visual information such as charts, graphs, or maps. Do not include your opinion.
• Task 2 (Approx. 40 mins / 250+ words): An essay where you present your opinion or discuss a given topic. This task is worth twice as much as Task 1, so poor time management can be critical.

3. The Difference Between Band 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0 (Interpreting the Official Criteria)

There is no official definition for "Band 6.5." In practice, it means that some of the four criteria are at a Band 7 level, while the others remain at a Band 6 level.

This means you don't need to be perfect in every area. By identifying and improving the "Band 6 elements" that are holding you back, you can raise your overall score.

Table 2: The Key Differences Between Band 6.0 vs. Band 7.0

Source: IELTS official Public Band Descriptors 2

4. Criterion-by-Criterion: Action Plan to Break the Band 6.5 Barrier

Here, we outline the highest-priority actions for test-takers stuck at Band 6.5 to reach Band 7.

4-1. Task Response / Achievement (The Most Critical Area)

This is often the reason why many test-takers feel they "wrote well in English" but still receive a low score.

• Band 7 Requirement: "Address all parts of the prompt" and "maintain a clear position throughout the response."
• Action Plan:
  • Deconstruct the prompt: If the question is "Discuss both views and give your opinion," ensure you dedicate separate paragraphs to "View A," "View B," and "My Opinion."
  • State your position in the introduction: Don't save your conclusion for the end. Write a clear thesis statement in your introduction.

4-2. Coherence & Cohesion (Structure and Flow)

• Band 7 Requirement: "Each paragraph has a clear central topic" and "logical progression."
• Action Plan:
  • One paragraph, one idea: Dedicate each body paragraph to a single main idea. Don't cram multiple points into one.
  • Use cohesive devices selectively: Avoid mechanically using words like Furthermore or Moreover. Use them only where a logical connection (e.g., contrast, cause-and-effect) is truly needed.

4-3. Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)

• Band 7 Requirement: "Flexible and precise vocabulary" and "awareness of style and collocation."
• Action Plan:
  • Prioritize collocations: Instead of memorizing isolated "big words," focus on using natural word combinations (e.g., heavy rain ✓, not strong rain ✗).
  • Paraphrase effectively: Avoid repeating the same words (especially common ones like problem, good, bad). Use synonyms that fit the context.

4-4. Grammatical Range & Accuracy (Grammar)

• Band 7 Requirement: "Frequent error-free sentences."
• Action Plan:
  • Eliminate basic errors: It is better to eliminate fundamental mistakes (e.g., subject-verb agreement, articles, tenses) than to attempt complex structures and make errors.
  • Save time for proofreading: Taking the last 5 minutes to correct careless mistakes can potentially raise your score by 0.5.

5. Task-Specific Checklists for a High-Scoring Structure

We've created a checklist of key points that both AI scoring systems and human examiners focus on. Use it for self-correction during your practice sessions.

5-1. Task 1 (Academic) Checklist

• Did you include an Overview (a summary of the main trends)? (Missing this risks a score of Band 5 or lower)

• Did you make comparisons and contrasts instead of just listing data points?
• Did you avoid including personal opinions or speculation? (Stick to an objective report.)
• Did you use the correct tense (e.g., past tense for past data)?

5-2. Task 2 (Academic) Checklist

• Have you addressed all parts of the task?
• Did you clearly state your position in the introduction?
• Do your body paragraphs follow a "Topic Sentence → Reason → Example" structure?
• Are your examples based on your own knowledge or experience, rather than "fictional research"?