The Game-Changer for IELTS Success: Why You Need Professional Editing Now!

Are you dreaming of new opportunities abroad?

Whether it’s securing a place at your top-choice university, advancing your career, or starting a new life in an English-speaking country, the IELTS exam is your gateway to success.

Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand are some of the countries that require a certain score on the IELTS or a similar exam as part of their immigration or visa application process.

Although the United States government does not have an IELTS requirement, some professions and universities do require specific scores for non-native English speakers who want to work or study in the USA.

As one of the most recognized English proficiency tests worldwide, the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) demands strong language skills across four different sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.

But let’s face it—getting a high score on the IELTS isn’t easy. The difference between passing with flying colors and just scraping by often comes down to one thing: how well you can write. Indeed, of the four components of the IELTS, the Writing section often poses the greatest difficulty.

So, let’s take a look at how the Writing section of the IELTS is scored. This will give you an idea of what you need to do to prepare yourself. Later, we will provide some tips to help you practice for your exam.

We will also show you how working with a professional editing service like TextRanch can help you maximize your IELTS score.

About the Writing section of the IELTS

The IELTS comes in two formats—Academic and General Training. Which version of the test you need to take depends on your goals or the requirements of the school, workplace, or immigration system you are dealing with.

The scoring for the Writing section of the IELTS test is based on four key criteria:

1. Task Achievement/Task Response (25%)

Task 1 (Academic) gives you a chart, graph, or diagram. Your job is to describe and summarize the information from that visual prompt.

Task 1 (General Training) usually involves writing a letter. You are scored according to how well you can fulfill this task.

Task 2 (Both Academic and General Training): This second task evaluates how effectively you address all of the parts of an essay question. You are expected to present a clear position and then support it with ideas and examples.

2. Coherence and Cohesion (25%):

Here, you will be scored on how well your ideas are organized and connected to each other. Your writing should have a clear structure with well-organized paragraphs, an appropriate use of linking words, and a logical flow of ideas.

3. Lexical Resource (25%):

This part of the IELTS assesses the range and accuracy of your English vocabulary. Therefore, you are expected to use a variety of words and phrases appropriately. One way to boost your score is to use idiomatic expressions and collocations. But note that you should avoid repeating the same words over and over again.

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%):

In this last category, you will be evaluated on how well you are able to use English grammar. You are expected to demonstrate a variety of sentence structures (simple, compound, complex), using the correct grammar and punctuation.

Errors in grammar, sentence structure, or punctuation can lower your score, especially if your mistakes make your writing difficult to understand.

Each of these four categories is scored on a band scale of 0 to 9. The average of these four scores determines your final Writing band score.

For instance, if you score 6.0 in Task Achievement, 7.0 in Coherence and Cohesion, 6.5 in Lexical Resource, and 7.0 in Grammatical Range and Accuracy, then your overall Writing score would be the average of these four, which is 6.6 (rounded down to 6.5).

Some tips on how to prepare yourself

By this point, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. Maybe you’re not sure if you can write well enough in English to earn a high score in each of the categories listed above.

Take a deep breath…

If you can read English well enough to understand this article, you’re in good shape. Give yourself a moment to recognize what you can already do and how hard you have already worked.

Okay, take a few more deep breaths…

Now, let’s get back to work and look at some strategies that can help you prepare for your IELTS exam.

• Understand the test format: Familiarize yourself with the structure of each section and the types of questions you will be asked. Knowing what to expect can reduce your anxiety and improve your performance.
• Practice regularly: Use official IELTS practice materials and online resources to build your English writing skills. Focus on all four sections and take timed practice tests to simulate real exam conditions.
• Enhance your English skills: Work on improving your overall English proficiency by reading widely, listening to English language media, writing practice essays, and having conversations with native speakers. One of our previous blog articles offers some more specific suggestions—and it was written by a non-native speaker!
• Take a prep course: You might want to enroll in an IELTS preparation course, either online or in-person. You will receive structured guidance and feedback from experienced instructors. If you’re taking an in-person class, you can form study groups with your classmates and practice together.
• Focus on time management: The IELTS is time-sensitive, so practice completing the tasks in each section within the allotted time to ensure that you can perform under pressure.

How TextRanch can make a difference

At TextRanch, our English experts can proofread and edit your IELTS practice essays and provide feedback on your writing. Whether you’re preparing for the Academic or General Training version of the IELTS, our services can give you the edge you need to succeed.

• Quick Text: Our Quick Text service is ideal for those times when you need someone to correct your sentences, paragraphs, and shorter practice essays. Our editors also make mild stylistic improvements if you choose our Advanced level of Quick Text editing.
• Document Editing: If you are struggling with a practice essay and you want a professional editor to go over it carefully and provide constructive feedback, our Document Editing service is right for you.
• Ask an Editor: While you are preparing for your IELTS exam, our Ask an Editor service can help you understand why certain words or phrases are correct while others are not. This service is also great for those times when you have questions about idioms or some of the more quirky aspects of the English language.

While AI and other automated tools can be part of your IELTS preparation, there are times when it’s better to find a human editor who can review your writing. That’s where we come in! Our TextRanch English experts are real people, not robots. Even better—we’re located across different time zones, which means we’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

An exclusive offer for business owners

If your employees need to pass the IELTS for work-related reasons, TextRanch for Business can be an invaluable resource.

By providing your employees access to your TextRanch for Business account, you increase their chances of passing the IELTS with a high score. This can lead to more successful business communications and opportunities, both domestically and internationally. In turn, this enhances the reputation of your company or brand.

A success story from one TextRanch customer!

Here is an excerpt from a real email that a customer recently sent to our TextRanch admins:

Hello, I just wanted to express my gratitude to TextRanch and the team. I was preparing for my academic IELTS test and was starting to feel desperate after I failed 2 times on my Writing examination. After writing around eight essays, that were edited by the TextRanch team, I finally achieved the required grade of 7.5 (the minimum I needed was 7.0). Since I’m unable to thank the editors directly, could you please pass on my thanks for their help and tips?

Our TextRanch team members were very happy to hear about how this customer was able to boost her IELTS Writing score with our help.

Let us help you take the next step in your IELTS preparation. Click the blue box below to get started!