Ielts Writing Band Descriptors Private Version -

The private version exists because IELTS is not a test of English—it is a test of . You can speak beautifully in conversation. You can read The Economist. But if you do not understand the hidden thresholds, you will walk out of that exam room wondering what went wrong.

If you have spent any time preparing for the IELTS exam, you have almost certainly downloaded the official IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 Band Descriptors (Public Version) . This 4-page PDF is circulated by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. It lists the criteria for scores from Band 0 to Band 9 across four categories: Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. ielts writing band descriptors private version

For years, the public version was a condensed summary, while the private version contained specific "negative features" (bolded in examiner documents) that could limit a candidate's score. For example, if a response is under the word count or contains memorized phrases, examiners have specific instructions in the full descriptors to penalize these scripts. The private version exists because IELTS is not

The private rule: If you use two or more of these leeches in one essay, your Lexical Resource score cannot exceed Band 6.0, regardless of other sophisticated vocabulary. Examiners call this the “phrasebook penalty.” But if you do not understand the hidden

Always compare: “In contrast to X, Y remained stable,” or “Although both rose, A increased more sharply than B.”

The public version says Task 1 (academic) requires you to “cover all key features” for a Band 7.