Practice
Two ways in: free drills on the four criteria the examiner actually marks — grammar, vocabulary, coherence, task response — and full question sets pitched at your target band.
By criterion — free drills
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Spot the errors that cap your band, build complex sentences that stay correct, kill the comma splice.
4 drills →LR · 25%Lexical Resource
Paraphrase without distortion, collocate like a native text, pick the precise word over the impressive one.
4 drills →CC · 25%Coherence & Cohesion
Linkers that match the logic, paragraphs that hold one topic, referencing that never leaves the reader guessing.
4 drills →TR · 25%Task Response
Cover every part of the question, hold your position, extend ideas instead of restating them.
4 drills →By target band — full questions
6.5
Clear position, body paragraphs with main ideas, some less-common vocabulary. For writers producing complete essays where errors still impede flow.
88 questions →University standard7.0
Frequent error-free sentences, a clear central topic per paragraph, less-common lexis used appropriately. The most common university requirement.
159 questions →Top-tier goals7.5+
Wide range of complex structures, mostly error-free, sophisticated lexis used naturally. Top universities, medical licensing, skilled migration.
31 questions →How the ceiling works
The tag on each question is the band an average test-taker tends to top out at on it — a reading of how unforgiving the question is to vague claims, off-position arguments, or weak examples. Practising just above your current band is the fastest way up: too easy teaches nothing, too hard just burns time.
Suggested ladder
Don’t know your current band? Grade one essay and start from there.
Grade one essay to place yourself, then follow the ladder up. Starts with a 3-day free trial.