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IELTS WritingStuck at 6.5 in IELTS Writing? Or about to sit your first test and not sure where you stand?
You may have taken IELTS already, and your Writing is still below the score you need. Or you have written practice essays, watched videos or used AI, and you still do not know how your work would stand against the real Writing criteria. Either way, the useful question is the same: what should you fix first?
The Diagnostic is $60. The roadmap is free.
Read this paragraph. What would you fix first?
Here is a Task 2 question and one body paragraph. Read it as if you wrote it.
Task 2: Some people think governments should spend more money on public transport than on building new roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Public transport is very important in modern society. Firstly, it reduces traffic congestion in big cities. Secondly, it helps to protect the environment because it causes less pollution. Moreover, it is cheaper for many people. Therefore, governments should invest more money in public transport.
Pick one before you look:
- Use more advanced vocabulary
- Add more linking words
- Develop one idea properly
- Correct the grammar
See what Teacher J would fix first
The English here is mostly fine. The grammar is under control and the vocabulary suits the topic. That is what makes this kind of paragraph confusing: it looks good.
The problem is the ideas. The paragraph lists three points (traffic, pollution, cost) and explains none of them. It also never says how far the writer agrees that transport should get more money than new roads, which is what the question asks.
Now imagine changing important to a “Band 9 word” like indispensable. One word changes. The paragraph is still a list. A stronger word will not fix a paragraph that does not develop its argument.
A better direction: keep one idea, explain how it works, give a specific example and connect it back to the question. For example:
I largely agree, mainly because better public transport can reduce congestion in a way that new roads rarely do. When a city builds a new road, driving becomes easier for a while, so more people choose to drive and the road soon fills up again. A fast, frequent bus or rail service works the other way: if it takes a hundred cars off a busy route every morning, the space it frees helps everyone who still needs to drive. For this reason, the same money often does more for traffic when it is spent on public transport than on roads.
One idea, explained step by step, with a clear link back to the question. The same level of English, but developed.
We are not giving either paragraph a band score. One paragraph cannot show a full Writing score. It can show you what kind of problem you are dealing with.
The four Writing criteria, in plain words
IELTS Writing is marked on four criteria of equal weight. Task 2 counts for more than Task 1.
Task Response
Called Task Achievement in Task 1Did you answer the whole question? Is your position clear from start to finish? Are your main ideas explained and supported, not just listed?
Coherence and Cohesion
Can the reader follow you easily? Each paragraph has one clear focus, ideas come in a sensible order, and linking words appear where there is a real link, not at the start of every sentence.
Lexical Resource
Do you use a good range of words, accurately and naturally? A rare word used wrongly costs more than a common word used well.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Do you use a mix of sentence types, and control them? Long, complex sentences with frequent errors do not help you.
Where are you starting from?
You already have a result
You know the score. The useful question is what keeps producing it. If your preparation has not changed, the result may not change either. Common reasons a Writing score stays still: ideas listed but not developed, a position that drifts, memorised phrases in the wrong place, and running out of time before the conclusion.
This is your first test
Videos, books and AI graders can all help. Use them. But your first official test should not be the place you discover what your preparation missed. AI can point out weak areas. You also need to know which problem matters most for your target, and whether you can fix it on a topic you have never seen.
How Teacher J works on it with you
Find it
She reads your writing against the four criteria and names the one or two problems costing you the most.
Fix it
In class, you work on that problem together, on real Task 2 questions.
Check it on a new topic
You write on a topic you have not seen, under time. If the same problem comes back, the correction has not become a skill yet, so you keep working on it.
We are not selling you another mock test
Free and paid mock tests already exist, and they are useful. A mock tells you how you did on that mock. The Diagnostic gives Teacher J evidence of how you actually work, so she can tell you what deserves attention first, before you spend weeks practising the wrong thing.
First attempt? The aim is to find the gaps before the official test does.
Taking it again? The aim is to understand what needs to change before you pay another exam fee.
How it works
- You choose your exam and skills and pay $60.
- Straight after you pay, a private link and an 8 digit password arrive by email. Take the test whenever you are ready in the next 14 days.
- The timed test itself is 40 minutes. Refreshing or closing the page does not add time.
- Teacher J reviews your work herself and sends your feedback within 48 hours.
To be clear: this is not an official IELTS or PTE score, and it does not guarantee a result. It shows you what to fix first.
Not ready to book? Start with the free roadmap
Tell us your exam, your target and how much time you have. You get a week by week study plan on screen straight away, and a copy by email. It takes about 2 minutes. No card needed.
Build my free roadmapShort answers
Can you tell me my band from one essay?
Not an official one. Only IELTS can give you an official band. Teacher J can show you how your writing measures up against each criterion and which problem is costing you most, which is what you need to plan your next weeks.
I have never taken IELTS. Is this page for me?
Yes. You do not need to fail the test first to find out where your preparation is weak. If your first test is coming up, the Diagnostic or the free roadmap can show you what to work on before test day.
Should I just learn more advanced vocabulary?
Probably not first. If your ideas are not developed or your position is unclear, new words will not fix that. Vocabulary matters, but it is one of four criteria.
How long will it take to move from 6.5 to 7?
There is no honest fixed timeline from a score alone. It depends on what is holding the score down, how much time you have and whether your improvement becomes consistent. After the Diagnostic, we can give you a clearer idea of what the work involves.
Read more in the Knowledge base
Find out what is holding your Writing back
Book the Diagnostic for Teacher J's review, build your free roadmap, or see how the classes work.
The Diagnostic is $60. The roadmap is free.