How to read the band descriptors
Admin1 November 2026 1 min read
The public IELTS band descriptors list what a response must show at each band. Most learners never read them, and that is a lost advantage.
The four criteria at a glance
| Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Task achievement / response | Fluency and coherence |
| 2 | Coherence and cohesion | Lexical resource |
| 3 | Lexical resource | Grammatical range and accuracy |
| 4 | Grammatical range and accuracy | Pronunciation |
Use them as a checklist
Take one criterion at a time. For Writing task response, ask three questions:
- Did I answer every part of the question?
- Is my position clear from the introduction to the conclusion?
- Are my ideas developed with a reason and an example?
Compare neighbouring bands
Read the descriptor for the band you are at and for the one above it. The difference between them is your study target.
Be honest
Mark your own answers, then ask someone else to mark them. Large differences show where you are overconfident.
#scoring#writing#speaking
See it in a model answer
Read answers from band 4.5 to 9, annotated against the criteria.