Genre and Rater Variation in IELTS Writing Assessment: A Comparative Perspective

Shoghi, Reihaneh; Bahrami, Mohammad; Mahshanian, Amir

doi:10.22034/elt.2025.69090.2819

Genre and Rater Variation in IELTS Writing Assessment: A Comparative Perspective

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ PhD, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

² PhD, Department of English Language and Literature, Sheikhbahaee University, Isfahan, Iran.

10.22034/elt.2025.69090.2819

Abstract

As AI-driven tools gain prominence in informal language assessment, high-stakes proficiency exams such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) continue to depend on trained human raters to ensure fairness, genre sensitivity, and construct validity. This study examines how raters’ linguistic backgrounds—specifically English L1 and Persian L1—affect holistic scoring across writing genres within the IELTS framework. Some experienced EFL teachers (11 English L1, 11 Persian L1), all trained in writing assessment and familiar with IELTS rating procedures, evaluated 150 argumentative and descriptive essays produced by advanced Iranian learners under time-controlled conditions. Scoring was based on the publicly available IELTS Task 2 band descriptors, ensuring standardization and alignment with institutional criteria set by Cambridge Assessment. Findings revealed that while both groups demonstrated overall scoring consistency, English L1 raters applied stricter standards to organization in argumentative writing, whereas Persian L1 raters were more sensitive to grammatical accuracy across both genres. The results underscore the critical role of human raters in detecting discourse-level features not fully captured by AI-based scoring systems. Implications are offered for rater training, assessment fairness, and genre-specific writing instruction in standardized testing contexts.

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