Scorify.uzHow Is IELTS Scored in Speaking and Writing? Criteria, Weighting and Rounding
This guide explains each step in plain language. It is a simplified summary of public IELTS information; the official IELTS organisations and test centres are the final authority, so check anything important with them. Scorify’s band estimate is for practice only: it is not an official IELTS score and cannot predict one.
Speaking: four criteria, equal weight
Your Speaking test is a one-to-one conversation with a certified examiner, face to face or, at some centres, by video call. The examiner asks the questions and scores you at the same time, and the test is recorded. All three parts are judged together: there is no separate mark for Part 1, 2 or 3.
| Criterion | What the examiner listens for | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Fluency and Coherence | Speaking at length without long hesitation, and linking ideas in a logical order | 25% |
| Lexical Resource | The range and precision of your vocabulary, including paraphrasing | 25% |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | How varied your sentence structures are, and how accurate | 25% |
| Pronunciation | How easy you are to understand: individual sounds, stress, rhythm and intonation (not whether your accent is British or American) | 25% |
The four criterion scores are averaged to give your Speaking band. Practice pages: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Writing: four criteria per task, and Task 2 counts more
Your Writing script is marked by certified examiners using the published band descriptors. Each task is scored separately on four criteria, and each criterion carries equal weight within the task.
| Criterion | Task 1 (report on a chart, table, map or process) | Task 2 (essay) |
|---|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | Task Achievement: key features selected and reported, a clear overview, accurate data | Task Response: every part of the question answered, a clear position, developed ideas |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Logical organisation, sensible paragraphing and natural linking | |
| Lexical Resource | Range, precision and natural use of vocabulary, including spelling | |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Variety and accuracy of sentence structures, including punctuation | |
How the two tasks combine. Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1. The commonly stated split is one third for Task 1 and two thirds for Task 2, so one extra band in Task 2 moves your Writing result roughly twice as much as one extra band in Task 1. IELTS does not publish the exact arithmetic examiners use, so treat the 1:2 ratio as a good approximation. In practice: plan about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 for Task 2, and do not skip Task 1. Practice material: Task 1 samples and Task 2 questions.
Minimum lengths matter too: answers shorter than 150 words (Task 1) or 250 words (Task 2) are penalised.
How the overall band is rounded
Your overall band is the average of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, rounded to the nearest half or whole band. The rule, as IELTS publishes it:
- An average ending in .25 is rounded up to the next half band.
- An average ending in .75 is rounded up to the next whole band.
- Anything else goes to the nearest half or whole band.
| Average of the four skills | Overall band |
|---|---|
| 6.125 | 6.0 |
| 6.25 | 6.5 |
| 6.375 | 6.5 |
| 6.75 | 7.0 |
| 6.875 | 7.0 |
Example: Listening 7.0, Reading 6.5, Writing 6.0, Speaking 6.5 add up to 26, and 26 ÷ 4 = 6.5, so the overall band is 6.5. The same method is described for averaging the four Speaking criteria into a Speaking band. Try your own numbers with the band score calculator or read band scores explained.
What examiners judge and what they do not
- Language, not opinions. In Speaking and Task 2 you are not marked on whether your view is right, but on how well you express and support it.
- Clarity, not accent. Pronunciation is about being easy to understand.
- Memorised material. Prepared answers that do not fit the question do not show your real ability and can lower your score.
- Length alone does not help. Meeting the minimum is required; a much longer answer with more errors earns nothing extra.
What this means for your preparation
- Work on all four criteria evenly: a weak criterion pulls the average down.
- Give most of your Writing practice to Task 2, without neglecting Task 1.
- Answer exactly what is asked, in your own words.
- Practise under test conditions, with timed essays and spoken answers.
Frequently asked questions
How is IELTS Speaking scored?
By one certified examiner, on four equally weighted criteria: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. The four scores are averaged into a whole or half band.
Does Writing Task 2 count more than Task 1?
Yes. Task 2 carries more weight; the usual figure is two thirds for Task 2 and one third for Task 1.
How is the overall IELTS band rounded?
The average of the four skills is rounded to the nearest half or whole band: .25 goes up to the next half band and .75 goes up to the next whole band.
Is the Scorify band an official score?
No. Scorify gives a practice estimate. Only an official IELTS test gives an official band score.
Sources
This is a simplified summary of public IELTS information. For the current rules, check the official sources: ielts.org (IELTS), IDP IELTS: band score calculation and British Council IELTS. Test centres have the final word on your test day.
Scorify.uz provides independent practice and estimated scores. Only an official IELTS test gives an official band score.
