IELTS Writing Checker Accuracy
How accurate is our IELTS writing checker? We tested it on 22 sample answers that have published examiner bands. For Task 2 essays, its overall band was within half a band of the examiner's band 79% of the time, with an average gap of 0.44 band. For Task 1 reports and letters it was within half a band 70% of the time, with an average gap of 0.62. It tends to score a little lower than examiners, most of all on band 8+ essays. Use the band as a practice estimate, not a prediction of your test result.
Tested on 14 October 2026 with the model and instructions the site uses now. We run the test again whenever we change either, and update this page.
IELTS writing checker accuracy by task
| Measure | Task 2 essays | Task 1 reports and letters |
|---|---|---|
| Answers tested | 12 (examiner bands 4 to 8.5) | 10 (examiner bands 3 to 7) |
| Times each was scored | 2 (24 scores) | 3 (30 scores) |
| Average gap from the examiner's band | 0.44 band | 0.62 band |
| Within half a band | 79% (19 of 24) | 70% (21 of 30) |
| Same band as the examiner | 50% (12 of 24) | 27% (8 of 30) |
| Within one band | 83% (20 of 24) | 83% (25 of 30) |
| On average | 0.27 band lower | 0.38 band lower |
| Largest gap | 1.5 bands | 2 bands |
The band compared is the overall band the checker shows you: the four criterion bands averaged and rounded down to the nearest half band.
Where it's close and where it isn't
- Task 2 essays at bands 5 to 7.5, where most candidates are: 9 essays, an average gap of 0.25 band.
- Top essays come out low. Both band 8.5 essays got 7 every time. If you already write at band 8 or above, expect a lower number here than an examiner would give.
- Academic reports without a clear overview are marked hard. Two reports that examiners gave 6 and 7 got 4.5 and 5 to 6, mainly for having no clear overview of the main trends.
- Very low bands come out close or a little high. The band 4 essay got 4 both times; the Task 1 answers at bands 3 and 4 came out about half a band high on average.
Does the same essay get the same band?
We scored every answer more than once. For Task 2, 11 of 12 essays got the same overall band each time, and the other moved by half a band. Task 1 varied more: 3 of 10 answers got the same band all 3 times, 6 moved by half a band and 1 by a full band.
On the site, sending the same answer and question again within 7 days returns your stored result instead of scoring it again, so resubmitting doesn't change your band.
How we tested
- The answers. Sample answers with examiner bands published by the British Council and on ielts.org: Academic and General Training scripts, most of them handwritten ones we typed up word for word, plus computer-delivered sample responses. For Task 2, 12 essays; for Task 1, 10 answers (Academic reports and General Training letters).
- Kept apart from the checker's scale. The checker's instructions include a few examiner-marked samples as a scale (4 Task 2 essays, 5 Task 1 answers). None of them is in the test, and for Task 1 we also left out every other answer to the same questions.
- The same setup as the site. DeepSeek V4 Pro with the instructions the site uses, our own summary of the public band descriptors. Academic reports were scored with their chart, as when you upload one.
- We don't publish the answers. They're their publishers' copyright.
Limits of this test
- It's small. 22 answers. One essay more or less moves these percentages by several points, so read them as a rough guide.
- We ran it ourselves. It isn't an independent study.
- Examiner bands aren't exact either. Some of these samples appear in two official sources with bands half a band apart.
Which model scores your writing
Every band comes from DeepSeek V4 Pro, the model in this test. If it's unavailable, you're asked to try again later: we don't switch to a model that hasn't been through this test.
Try it on your own writing
Get a band for all four criteria and the problems costing you the most marks: 1 free check a day without signing up, or 2 checks a day with a free account. What each band needs is in the band descriptors, explained.
Check a Task 2 essay Check a Task 1 answer
Independent practice tool. Not affiliated with, approved or endorsed by IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge University Press & Assessment. IELTS is a registered trademark of its owners. Scores are AI estimates, not official results.