How Examiners Score IELTS Writing Task 1
Task Achievement · Overview · May 2026
Examiners score Task 1 on four criteria—Task Achievement (TA), Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and GRA—with TA driven by overview, accurate data selection, and format fit. Academic Task 1 needs a clear overview of main trends or stages; General Training letters need correct tone, purpose, and bullet coverage. CC rewards logical grouping of data; LR and GRA follow the same bands as Task 2 but with less argument depth required.
Task Achievement on charts and graphs
Examiners scan for overview first, then body paragraphs that support it. See comparison language traps and category overlap trap.
Four criteria at a glance
| Criterion | Examiner focus |
|---|---|
| TA | Overview + relevant data + format |
| CC | Logical paragraphing and linking |
| LR | Topic vocabulary for trends and comparison |
| GRA | Range and accuracy in descriptions |
GT letters vs Academic reports
GT Task 1 TA includes greeting, purpose, bullet points, and closing tone. Academic TA is almost always report format with overview—see Academic vs General evaluation.
TA bands examiners distinguish
Band 6 Task 1
Overview present but mechanical; some data missing or inaccurate.
Band 7+ Task 1
Clear overview plus logical data grouping with few accuracy slips.
Key takeaways
- Missing overview caps Task Achievement before grammar is praised.
- Select and compare key data—do not list every number.
- GT letters are TA-heavy on tone and bullet coverage.
- Same four criteria as Task 2; TA rules differ by task type.
FAQ
Check whether your Task 1 overview would pass examiner TA.
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