Starter
£0 / month
- 3 free checks a month (the first needs no sign-up)
- Each writing check uses 1 of your monthly checks; saved full rewrites are Pro
- Four criterion scores and a revision plan
- Saved essay history
By English Test Coach · Updated
Academic and General Training · Task 1 and Task 2
IELTS writing checker: band estimates you can act on
Write or paste your response, choose the task and get an estimated band for each of the four IELTS writing criteria. The report shows which parts of your answer led to each judgement and what to revise first.
Your first free check needs no sign-up. A free Starter account includes 3 free checks a month, and Pro (£12 a month) has no monthly limit on personal writing checks. The band is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score.
What the checker assesses
IELTS examiners mark writing against four criteria of equal weight. The checker estimates a band for each of the same four and adapts the first one to the task you choose.
| Criterion | What the checker looks for |
|---|---|
| Task achievement (Task 1) or task response (Task 2) | Whether you answer every part of the question. For an Academic report, an accurate overview and key features; for a letter, the purpose, each bullet point and a tone that suits the reader; for an essay, a clear position developed with relevant reasons and examples. |
| Coherence and cohesion | Paragraphs that each have one clear job, ideas that move forward logically, and linking words that show a real relationship rather than decoration. |
| Lexical resource | Precise word choice, natural collocations and suitable formality, plus spelling and word-form errors that affect meaning. |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | A mix of sentence structures used accurately, and the errors that block or distract from your meaning. |
For Academic Task 1, upload a complete, readable image of the chart, table, map or process. The AI reads the visual first, lists anything it could not read, and then checks your report against what it found. General Training letters and Task 2 essays need only your text. The Task 1 checker guide shows exactly what it looks for in reports and letters, and our plain-English band descriptors explain what separates bands 5 to 8.
What your report includes
- An estimated band for each criterion and overall, with the evidence from your response behind each one.
- A task checklist showing which parts of the question you covered, partly covered or missed.
- Language corrections in context for a few clear errors. Your original writing is never changed automatically.
- Vocabulary notes on precision and formality, and coherence notes on paragraphs and progression.
- Next steps: the revisions most likely to lift your weakest criterion.
- A study revision when you ask for one: a revised version of your response with each change quoted and explained.
- A printable report and, when you are signed in, a private history so you can compare reports over time.
The checker is not a complete grammar check. No corrections does not mean the writing is error-free, and AI can miss or misread parts of a response, so test each suggestion against what you meant.
Free checks and Pro
Your first free check needs no account. It is not saved, so download anything you want to keep. A free Starter account gives you 3 free checks a month: each writing check uses one (saved full rewrites are part of Pro), and your reports are saved privately. Pro costs £12 a month and has no monthly limit on personal writing checks. It adds 60 full rewrites a month, the AI essay planner, vocabulary sentence feedback and speaking transcription, and you can cancel any time.
Not sure which you need? Start without an account. If the first report helps, a free account keeps your reports and gives you a monthly allowance.
Plans for your practice
A clear place to start.
Start with the tools you need and make room for regular practice.
Pro
£12 / month
Or pay once, with no renewal: 1-month pass £12 · 3-month pass £24 · 12-month pass £49
Everything in Starter, plus:
- Unlimited writing checks (fair-use daily limits apply)
- 60 full rewrites each month
- Band progress chart across your saved checks
- Writing mock pack: 5 more timed mocks with printable band reports
- AI essay planner: outline, ideas and topic vocabulary
- AI feedback on your vocabulary practice sentences
- Speaking transcription for your recorded answers
- Cancel any time
Exam passes
Practise until test day.
Pay once for everything in Pro, for as long as you need before your test. A pass never renews and nothing more is charged. Buying another pass adds its days after the current one ends.
Which should I choose? Pro suits regular practice and renews monthly until you cancel. A pass suits a fixed test date: you pay once and it never renews.
A pass starts straight away, so the usual 14-day cancellation right does not apply. It never renews.
Prices in pounds. In some countries checkout shows a fixed local price; elsewhere Stripe converts to your currency, and you can choose to pay in pounds. Show prices in rupees (₹)
Retaking Writing?
If Writing held your band back, practise with a pass until your retake: check every essay against the four criteria, fix one weakness at a time and see each estimate change. The bands are estimates, not official IELTS scores, and no score is guaranteed.
£12 a month, renewing monthly until you cancel. No VAT is added. Cancel any time; Pro stays active until the end of the paid month, with no partial refunds. Outside the UK? You can pay in pounds (GBP) to avoid Stripe's conversion fee.
Pro payments are taken on Stripe's secure checkout page, so English Test Coach never sees your card number.
How accurate is the band estimate?
No automated checker can give you an official IELTS score, and this one does not claim to. We test it on IELTS writing responses that were published with an examiner's band.
On 27 of those responses, the overall estimate was within one band of the official score for 24, with an average difference of 0.57 of a band. It is least reliable for very strong writing: four of the five responses marked 8 or 8.5 were estimated between 6.5 and 7.5. If your estimate sits around 7, treat the detailed feedback as more useful than the number.
The full accuracy report explains the method, the results for each test set and what they mean for you. If you need a human judgement, read AI checker or human examiner.
How to get a useful check
- Choose the task type first. Academic Task 1, a General Training letter and a Task 2 essay are judged against different requirements.
- Paste the exact question. Task response is judged against the question you give, so a shortened or paraphrased prompt makes the estimate less reliable.
- Write under time. The workspace timer is set to 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2, and the live word count helps you check the 150-word and 250-word minimums.
- Revise the weakest criterion first. Rewrite one paragraph, check the new draft and compare the two reports.
- Compare with an annotated answer. Our original sample answers explain why each paragraph works, so you can borrow a technique rather than memorise phrases.
Need something to write about? Choose an original question from the practice library, or take a full IELTS writing mock test under exam timing.
What happens to your writing
Guest checks are not saved to an account, so download the report if you want to keep it. When you sign in, your reports and cloud drafts are private to your account, and you can export your data or delete your account at any time. We do not publish learner essays. Our privacy notice explains what is stored and for how long.
Questions about the IELTS writing checker
Is the IELTS writing checker free?
Yes, within limits. You get 3 free checks a month with a free Starter account, and the first needs no sign-up. Pro (£12 a month) has no monthly limit on personal writing checks.
Is the band an official IELTS score?
No. It is an estimate for practice. Only a test taken with an official IELTS test centre gives you an official band. English Test Coach is independent of IELTS, the British Council, IDP and Cambridge.
Can it check Academic Task 1 charts and diagrams?
Yes. Upload a complete, readable image of the chart, table, map or process with your report. The AI reads the visual first, tells you anything it could not read, and then checks your description against it.
Does it check General Training letters?
Yes. Choose General Training Task 1 and paste the full task, including its bullet points. The report checks whether you covered each point in a tone that suits the reader.
How can I get automated feedback on IELTS writing practice?
Write or paste a Task 1 or Task 2 answer into the English Test Coach checker and it returns an estimated band for each of the four writing criteria, with the evidence and what to fix first. Your first free check needs no sign-up. The result is an estimate for practice, not an official IELTS score.
How is it different from a grammar checker?
A grammar checker looks for language errors. This checker estimates all four IELTS writing criteria, so it also judges whether you answered the question, how your ideas are organised and how precise your vocabulary is. It corrects only a few clear language errors, so it is not a complete proofread.
Can I cancel Pro?
Yes, at any time from your account. Pro stays active until the end of the month you have paid for, and there are no partial refunds.
Check one response today
Choose a question, write for 20 or 40 minutes and run your first check. If the report helps, create a free account to keep your reports and use 3 free checks a month.
Comparing tools? See the best IELTS writing checkers compared, or read English Test Coach vs Engnovate, English Test Coach vs Writing9 or our Writing9 alternatives guide. To turn your section bands into an overall score, use the IELTS band score calculator.