Did you know that that a current IELTS examiner, speaking or writing, canNOT advertise their services as a tutor (or they lose their invitation to examine), and that although there is a public version of the rubric/scoring guide widely available online, the examiners sign out a different, more complex criteria/guide that is supposed to be top secret?
If you don’t know. Click here for the Writing Band Scores Guide from the British Council
When I was a writing examiner my method was to skim read the whole essay, get a feel for it by instinct- did I understand it easily, did I kind of understand some parts, or was it just words on a page that made no sense? From there I would pull out the band score criteria and justify that gut feeling and spend another 15 minutes go through each sentences moving the score up and down.
So, in that way if it was easy to understand, I would go to the 7, 8 and 9 parts of the band score criteria and match the actual grammar, vocab and cohesiveness against the score- sometimes I found problems that meant the score was pulled lower. If I couldn’t understand it, I would do the reverse and start matching the language against the 4 and 5 bands of the guide.
But I haven’t examined in 3 o 4 years, so I decide to take some of my most asked questions to a current examiner (who will stay anonymous). I also added a few of my own to emphasise the point you can’t fool a native speaking examiner with templates!
Q: Can you start by explaining how the IELTS Writing test is evaluated?
Examiner: Sure The IELTS Writing test is evaluated based on four main criteria: Task Achievement/Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each of these criteria is given equal weight in determining the final score.
Q: One common concern among test-takers is whether using memorized templates can boost their scores. Can you shed some light on this?
Examiner: While using memorized templates might seem like a helpful strategy, it actually doesn’t work in the candidate’s favour. The test is designed to assess the ability to produce original content and ideas. If an examiner identifies a memorized template or copied phrases from the rubric, it can negatively impact the candidate’s score. Authenticity and originality are key.
Q: That makes sense. I’ve also believe that it’s possible to achieve a high score, like an 8 or 9, even with some errors. Is this true?
Examiner: Yes, that’s correct. Even native English speakers make errors, especially under time pressure. The key is to demonstrate a strong command of the language and convey ideas clearly and effectively. Minor errors won’t necessarily prevent a candidate from achieving a high score if the overall writing shows sophistication and a good range of vocabulary and grammar.
Q: How do sophistication and simplicity play into the scoring?
Examiner: The test positively scores for sophistication, meaning the use of complex sentence structures, advanced vocabulary, and varied grammatical forms. On the other hand, simplicity, or the overuse of basic structures and vocabulary, can negatively impact the score. However, it’s important to strike a balance and ensure clarity. Sophistication should not come at the cost of coherence and understanding.
Q: What advice would you give to candidates aiming for high scores in the Writing test?
Examiner: My advice would be to thoroughly understand the task and answer the question directly. Use a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures to demonstrate language proficiency. Most importantly, show some flair in your writing—engage the reader with well-developed arguments and clear, cohesive ideas. Practice is essential, but so is ensuring that the practice is varied and challenging.
Q: Thank you so much for sharing these insights!
Do you have an comments and questions on the information above.
IELTS & PTE TUTORING & COSULTANCY 
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