Get your real IELTS Writing band — and the exact edits to lift it.
A strict examiner. Calibrated to the official band descriptors. Honest about your current band — and exact about the smallest changes that lift it.
Marked against the official band descriptors · your first essay is free · no sign-up to try
Most checkers inflate your score. We don't.
Free AI tools and most “band checkers” tell you what you want to hear — then the real exam wrecks you. Band 7 Lab marks like a real examiner: your true band, the exact sentences holding you back, and the smallest edits to fix them.
See exactly what you get
A real marked result — honest band, evidence from your own writing, and the precise edit to lift it.
Grammar is capped at 5 by recurring errors. Example from your essay: “I am agree that government should provide the free education.”
I am agree that government should provide the free education → I agree that the government should provide free education (fix verb form + articles)
How it works
Anything you've written — Task 1 or Task 2. No sign-up needed to try.
A band for each criterion, with the exact sentences behind every score.
Make the small fixes it shows you, re-mark, and watch your band rise.
Why you can trust the band
- Marked against the official public band descriptors — the same criteria a real examiner uses.
- We check whether you actually answered the question — the thing most AI tools skip.
- Honest by design. We'd rather tell you 6.0 today than a flattering 7.0 you won't get on exam day.
- Built by a UK NHS doctor and a dentist preparing for their own high-stakes UK exams — we built the tool we wished existed.
Common questions
Is the band accurate?
It's calibrated to the official IELTS public band descriptors and deliberately conservative — it won't inflate your score. It's a practice estimate to guide your prep, not an official result.
Is it free?
Your first essay mark is free. After that you can keep practising on a subscription.
Is this official IELTS?
No. Band 7 Lab is an independent study tool, not affiliated with the British Council, IDP or Cambridge. It helps you practise for the IELTS exam.
How is my band worked out?
Four criteria — Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammar — each scored and averaged, the same structure examiners use. Full explanation here.
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Know your real band.
Stop guessing. Paste an essay and see exactly where you stand — free.
💻 The real IELTS Writing test is taken on a computer with a keyboard. For the most realistic timed practice, use a laptop or desktop — Learn and review work well on any device.
Your band over time
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Get your real IELTS Writing band
Paste an essay you've already written. The examiner marks it against the official band descriptors — honestly — and shows you the smallest edits to lift it. Your first mark is free.
Don't have an essay handy right now?