Band 6 (Competent user) is the B2 level, generally effective command with some inaccuracies. This is the band most universities require as a minimum.
Upper-intermediate. Band 6 corresponds to CEFR B2. Target band for many university programs.
Band 6 is a competent user with generally effective command of English despite some inaccuracies and misunderstandings, able to use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar situations. The vocabulary handles the full set of IELTS topics, environment, urbanisation, technology, health, with enough range to develop arguments, though less common items and idiom are inconsistent. Learners can paraphrase by choosing a different word rather than dumbing down. This is solid CEFR B2.
You're at band 6 if you can follow most native content, hold a real discussion, and write a structured argument, while still making the kind of slips that occasionally distract the reader. Band 6, or 6.5 overall with a minimum in each section, is the threshold most universities set for admission. For many candidates this is the goal band, and for competitive programmes it is the floor. The challenge now is the jump to band 7, which is driven largely by lexical range and accuracy.
The 6-to-7 gap is mostly about producing less common vocabulary naturally, so deliberately collect and drill higher-band items for each recurring topic and review them on a spaced schedule until they feel like your own. Audit your own essays: the words you recognise but never write are exactly what to practise actively with example sentences. Consume native news and documentary content without subtitles to absorb collocation and register. Get timed Writing feedback specifically on lexical resource, since self-assessment misses the items you do not know you are overusing.