IELTS Writing Task 2: The Four Criteria Examiners Actually Score
June 6, 2026 · 7 min read
IELTS Writing Task 2 is scored on four criteria, each worth 25% of your band: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Your overall Task 2 band is the average of the four, so a weakness in any single area pulls the whole score down — which is why balanced preparation beats obsessing over one skill.
1. Task Response (25%)
Task Response measures whether you actually answered the question. To reach Band 7 you must address every part of the prompt, present a clear position and hold it throughout, and develop your main ideas with relevant support. The most common Band 6 cap is a partial answer: writing about the general topic instead of the specific question, or giving examples that don't extend the argument. Read the prompt twice, underline each task it sets, and make sure every paragraph earns its place.
2. Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
This criterion is about organisation, not ideas. Coherence is the logical flow of your argument; cohesion is the linking that signals that flow. Band 7 needs clear paragraphing with one central idea per paragraph, and a logical progression a reader can follow without effort. Use a range of cohesive devices — but use them accurately. Over-using "Firstly, Secondly, Moreover, In conclusion" mechanically actually lowers this score; examiners reward natural linking, including referencing and substitution, over a checklist of connectors.
3. Lexical Resource (25%)
Lexical Resource is your vocabulary — range, precision, and collocation. Band 7 expects a sufficient range to discuss the topic flexibly, some less common vocabulary, and an awareness of collocation (the words that naturally go together). Crucially, precision matters more than rarity: one misused "sophisticated" word damages the score more than a well-chosen common one. This is exactly where building academic vocabulary with spaced repetition pays off — you accumulate words you can deploy accurately, not just recognise.
4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)
This is the variety and correctness of your sentence structures. Band 7 requires a mix of simple and complex sentences and frequent error-free sentences, with errors that rarely impede communication. You don't need flawless grammar — you need range (conditionals, relative clauses, passives where appropriate) combined with control. A safe, all-simple-sentence essay caps here at Band 6 even if it's error-free.
How to use the criteria in practice
Because the four are averaged, the fastest route to a higher band is usually lifting your weakest criterion, not polishing your strongest. Score a practice essay against all four, find the lowest, and target it. A common Band 6.5 → 7 jump comes from fixing Coherence (clearer paragraphing) and Grammatical Range (adding complex sentences), since those are the most trainable in a few weeks.
FAQ
Are all four IELTS Writing Task 2 criteria weighted equally?
Yes. Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy each contribute 25% of the Task 2 band, and the four are averaged.
What most commonly limits a Task 2 essay to Band 6?
A partial answer (not addressing every part of the prompt) for Task Response, and a lack of complex sentence structures for Grammatical Range. Both are common Band 6 caps even in otherwise clean essays.
Does using more linking words raise the Coherence score?
Not by itself. Mechanical over-use of connectors can lower Coherence and Cohesion. Examiners reward natural, varied linking and clear paragraphing over a checklist of "Firstly, Moreover, In conclusion".