IELTS guides
Every guide on the site, written around the official band descriptors. Narrow the list by skill or by test type.
Why You Are Stuck at Band 6.5, and What Moves You Past It
An overall 6.5 is an average, not a level. How to find which section and which criterion is holding your score, and what band 7 requires there.
Band 6 vs 6.5 vs 7: What Actually Changes in the Descriptors
There is no band 6.5 descriptor. What the official IELTS documents change between band 6 and band 7 in each skill, and where the half band comes from.
How IELTS Speaking Is Marked: The Four Criteria Explained
What the four IELTS Speaking assessment criteria measure, how they combine into your Speaking band, and what separates band 6 from band 7.
Lexical Resource: Why a Bigger Vocabulary Is Not the Answer
What the lexical resource criterion rewards in IELTS Writing, why precision and collocation beat rare words, and what changes between band 6 and band 7.
Task Response: What Examiners Are Actually Looking For
What the task response criterion measures in IELTS Writing Task 2, how the band descriptors describe bands 5 to 8, and what separates band 6 from band 7.
Coherence and Cohesion: The Criterion Most Candidates Misread
What coherence and cohesion actually measure in IELTS Writing, why more linking words is not the fix, and what band 7 requires instead.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Range Without Errors
How grammatical range and accuracy is scored in IELTS Writing, why both playing safe and overreaching cap the band, and what band 7 asks for.
How IELTS Writing Is Marked: The Four Criteria and How They Combine
What the four IELTS Writing assessment criteria measure, how Task 1 and Task 2 combine into one Writing band, and how to read the public band descriptors.
IELTS Listening Raw Score to Band Score
How your IELTS Listening raw score out of 40 converts to a band score, with the official conversion anchors and the small mechanical errors that cost real marks.
IELTS Reading Raw Score to Band Score: Academic and General Training
How many correct answers out of 40 you need for each IELTS Reading band, with the official conversion anchors for Academic and General Training and why the two differ.
How to Structure IELTS Writing Task 2 for a Band 7+
A reliable four-paragraph structure for IELTS Writing Task 2 essays, with what examiners look for in task response, coherence, vocabulary, and grammar.
IELTS Band Scores Explained: What Your Score Actually Means
A clear breakdown of the IELTS 0 to 9 band scale, how the four section scores combine into an overall band, and what score you need for common goals.