Scoring Band 9 in IELTS Writing Task 2 is not about using fancy vocabulary or writing long paragraphs. It is about understanding exactly what the examiner is looking for and delivering it consistently across four specific criteria. In this guide, I will break down each criterion, show you the difference between Band 6 and Band 9 responses, and give you a clear path to the highest score.
#What does a band 9 Task 2 essay have to do?
Every IELTS Writing Task 2 response is assessed on four criteria, each worth 25% of your score:
- Task Achievement (TA), Did you fully address all parts of the question?
- Coherence and Cohesion (CC), Is your essay logically organised and easy to follow?
- Lexical Resource (LR), Do you use a wide range of vocabulary naturally and accurately?
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA), Do you use a variety of sentence structures with minimal errors?
Most test-takers focus almost entirely on vocabulary and grammar while ignoring Task Achievement and Coherence. This is the single biggest reason people plateau at Band 6.
#Criterion 1: Task Achievement
At Band 9, you must present a fully developed position in response to the question, with relevant, extended, and well-supported ideas. At Band 6, candidates typically present a relevant position but fail to develop it fully.
#Band 6 vs Band 9: Task Achievement
Question: Some people believe that children should start learning a foreign language at primary school. Others think they should wait until secondary school. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Band 6: "I think children should learn languages early because it is good for them. They can learn faster when they are young. On the other hand, some people think secondary school is better because children are more mature."
Band 9: "Proponents of early language education argue that young children possess a neurological advantage in acquiring new languages, as the brain's plasticity during formative years enables more natural phonetic development and intuitive grammatical absorption. Conversely, advocates for delayed instruction contend that secondary-school students bring superior cognitive maturity, enabling them to grasp abstract grammatical concepts and engage in comparative linguistic analysis more effectively."
Notice the difference is not just vocabulary, the Band 9 response explains why each position exists, using specific reasoning rather than vague statements.
#Key Rule for Task Achievement
Always ask yourself: "Have I explained WHY?" Every claim needs a reason, and every reason benefits from a specific example or elaboration. The formula is: Point → Reason → Example/Elaboration.
#Criterion 2: Coherence and Cohesion
This criterion assesses your essay's logical organisation. At Band 9, your ideas progress naturally, each paragraph has a clear central topic, and cohesive devices are used skillfully without being mechanical.
#Common Band 6 Problem: Mechanical Linking
Band 6: "Firstly, education is important. Secondly, it helps people get jobs. Thirdly, it improves society. In addition, it builds character. Moreover, it teaches discipline."
This reads like a shopping list. The linking words are present but add no logical structure.
Band 9: "Education serves as the foundation of individual economic mobility, equipping graduates with the skills demanded by modern labour markets. Beyond personal benefit, however, an educated populace drives broader societal progress, from higher civic participation to reduced crime rates."
The Band 9 version uses logical progression (from individual to societal benefit) rather than a list of disconnected points strung together with sequencing words.
#Paragraph Structure That Works
Use this structure for each body paragraph:
- Topic sentence, state the main idea of the paragraph
- Explanation, elaborate on the idea
- Example or evidence, make it concrete
- Link, connect back to the question or transition to the next point
#Criterion 3: Lexical Resource
Band 9 requires you to use a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control. This does not mean using the longest words you know. It means using precise words.
#Band 6 vs Band 9: Vocabulary
Band 6: "This is a very big problem in today's society."
Band 9: "This remains a pervasive issue in contemporary societies."
Band 6: "The government should do something to fix this problem."
Band 9: "Policymakers must implement targeted interventions to address this challenge."
Notice that Band 9 vocabulary is not obscure, words like pervasive, contemporary, and targeted interventions are common in academic writing. The key is precision: choosing the word that means exactly what you intend rather than relying on vague, general terms.
#Vocabulary Pitfalls to Avoid
- Do not memorise and force in "big words", examiners can spot this instantly
- Avoid repeating the same word more than twice, use synonyms and paraphrasing
- Never use a word you are not confident about, one misused word damages your score more than a simple word helps it
#Criterion 4: Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Band 9 demands a wide range of structures used accurately and appropriately. You need to demonstrate control of complex sentences, not just use them.
#Structures That Signal Band 9
- Conditional sentences: "Were governments to invest more heavily in renewable energy, the long-term economic benefits would far outweigh the initial expenditure."
- Cleft sentences: "It is the lack of early intervention that makes this problem so difficult to resolve."
- Passive constructions: "Considerable attention has been devoted to this issue in recent years."
- Participle clauses: "Having considered both perspectives, I am inclined to support the former view."
The key is variety. A Band 9 essay mixes simple, compound, and complex sentences naturally. Writing only in complex sentences is just as problematic as writing only simple ones.
#A complete Task 2 sample answer, read against the band 9 descriptors
Everything above is the criteria one at a time. Here they are all at once, on a finished script: a full answer to a two part question, then the same answer read back against what the descriptors ask for. It is one of the 69 questions in the free IELTS Writing Task 2 question bank here, and it is published on its own page as the Task 2 sample answer on whether celebrities are paid too much.
Two things before you read it. Read it one criterion at a time, because that is how the marking works and an overall impression tells you nothing you can act on. And the notes underneath are our own reading of the script against the public band descriptors. No examiner marked it, and no answer written outside a real test can be awarded a band by anyone, so treat the notes as a map of what the descriptors are asking for rather than as a score.
#The question
Some people believe that celebrities, such as film stars, professional athletes, and pop singers, are paid far too much, especially when compared with workers in essential jobs.
What are the reasons for these high salaries? What consequences does this have for society?
#The answer, all 289 words of it
The earnings of leading film stars, footballers, and pop singers regularly run into tens of millions a year, while the nurses and teachers who keep society functioning earn a tiny fraction of that. This contrast feels unfair to many people, and although the underlying economics are explainable, the social consequences are worth taking seriously.
There are several straightforward reasons for these enormous salaries. First, the entertainment and sports industries operate on a winner-takes-all model. A single global film star can guarantee a billion-dollar box office, and a star striker can almost single-handedly determine whether a football club reaches the Champions League. Because revenues at the top are so concentrated, the few individuals capable of generating them command extraordinary fees. Second, modern technology allows performers to reach audiences of hundreds of millions through streaming, social media, and global broadcasting, multiplying their economic value far beyond what previous generations could earn. Finally, celebrity brands attract lucrative sponsorship and endorsement deals that have nothing to do with the original sport or art form.
The consequences of this pattern are mixed but largely concerning. On one hand, celebrity success can inspire young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and generate significant tax revenue and charitable giving. On the other hand, when the gap between celebrity pay and essential workers' salaries becomes too wide, it distorts the values of younger generations, who may pursue fame rather than meaningful work. It also erodes public trust in the fairness of the economic system, fuels celebrity-obsessed media culture, and reinforces the sense that visible glamour is more rewarded than quiet competence.
In conclusion, high celebrity earnings are the predictable result of global media economics, but society pays a real price in distorted aspirations and weakened respect for everyday work.
#The same answer, criterion by criterion
Task Response. Address both reasons and consequences fully. The prompt asks two separate questions, the reasons and then the consequences, and the answer gives a paragraph to each inside its four paragraphs. That is the whole of this criterion on a two part prompt. An essay about celebrity culture in general, however well written, has answered one half of the question, and no amount of vocabulary buys the other half back. Task Achievement, the name used higher up this page, is what the same criterion is called on Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion. Clear paragraph structure with logical progression. There are six cohesive devices in the whole 289 words, and they spread across contrast, cause, sequence and conclusion rather than one signpost bolted to the front of each paragraph. Set that against the shopping list version earlier in this guide, which used five linking words in five sentences and organised nothing.
Lexical Resource. Vocabulary on economics, society, and the media. The longest run of words lifted straight from the question is three, and that is the figure worth copying. A paraphrase shows range. A copy shows none, and it fills the word count with language that is not yours.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Complex structures with consistent accuracy. It carries a subordinate or relative clause in seven of its 13 sentences, and the sentences run from nine words to 33. Range is that spread. A page of uniformly long sentences is not range, and the short sentence in a strong script is usually there on purpose.
One script is one data point, and band 9 is further than most people need to go. If you are sitting at 6.5 and want the same treatment one band down, a complete band 7 Task 2 essay read criterion by criterion is the more useful comparison, because what the band 7 descriptor concedes is where the available marks actually are.
#How do you actually reach band 9 on the day?
- Answer the question precisely. If it says "discuss both views and give your opinion," you must do all three.
- Plan for 5 minutes before writing. A clear plan prevents disorganised essays.
- Write 270-300 words. Going significantly over takes time from checking and rarely adds quality.
- Leave 3-4 minutes to proofread. Catching two or three errors can shift your GRA score by half a band.
- Practise under timed conditions. Writing a beautiful essay in 60 minutes is irrelevant, you have 40.
The path to Band 9 is not about talent. It is about understanding the marking criteria and practising deliberately against them. If you want to see exactly how your essays measure up against each criterion, try submitting a practice essay on BandNine.ai, our AI coach gives you criterion-by-criterion feedback with specific suggestions for improvement.