IELTS Writing assessment criteria - explained in a simple way! | IELTS With Masters

IELTS Writing assessment criteria - explained in a simple way! What do IELTS examiners look at?

Task Achievement
1) Your ideas should be relevant. This means that if you were asked about one specific thing, for example, about the way computers influence children's academic success, don't write about the advantages and disadvantages of using computers in general. Stick to the point!
2) Your arguments should be extended. This means that a reader shouldn't be an expert in this topic, but your explanation should be so detailed that this person wouldn't have any questions after reading your essay.
3) You must state your position, and it should be clear throughout the essay.

Coherence & Cohesion
1) Your essay should be well structured. It should include the introduction, supporting paragraphs (usually 2 or 3) and the conclusion. Your reasoning should be presented in a logical way.
2) Your essay should be really easy to read. So if there are too many long and complicated sentences which come one after another, the examiner will have to re-read some parts several times. As a result, you will be marked down.
3) You should use linking words and phrases such as 'As a result' or linking devices such as 'This will lead to...' in order to help a reader follow your train of thought.

Vocabulary
1) You should use topical vocabulary. This is vocabulary that is suitable for some particular topic and cannot be used in any essay. For example, you can use the verb 'to argue' in all essays, so it's not topical, but the expression 'exhaust fumes' IS topical as it can be naturally used only in essays about environment or traffic.
2) The more complicated words, the better. But, again, don't overdo. It is enough to use 2 or 3 uncommon words per paragraph to show how clever you are. If there are too many of them, your essay will not read well, and the examiner will just think you are trying to impress them.

Grammar
1) The fewer mistakes, the better. But don't think that examiners read your essays with a magnifying glass and pay attention to every minor mistake. Stop worrying about it.
2) The more diverse and complicated structures you use, the better. I always say to my students that examiners do not have a clairvoyant ability. So if you don’t show in your essay that you can use a variety of grammatical structures, how can they know that you are a very knowledgeable student and deserve a high score? They can assess just what they can see.

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