Glossary · Exam & scoring
What is a band score?
A band score is a level on a fixed scale — like IELTS 0–9 or the selective test's six bands — that sums up the quality of your writing.
A band score places your writing on a defined scale rather than giving a raw percentage. IELTS uses bands 0–9; the NSW Selective writing test uses six bands; other exams use their own. Each band has a written descriptor explaining what writing at that level looks like across several criteria.
Knowing the band descriptors is powerful: instead of guessing, you can see exactly what separates, say, a Band 6 from a Band 7, and work on that specific gap.
How markers see it
Markers match your writing to the band descriptor it best fits across each criterion — which is exactly what Coach Pen marks to.
See band score on your own writing.
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