| Writing Duration | 60 Minutes |
| Tasks | Task 1: You are required to write at least 150 words Task 2: You are required to write at least 250 words |
| Test Parts | 2 Passages |
Academic Writing
You are presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and are asked to summarise and report the information in your own words. You may be asked to select and compare data, describe the stages of a process and describe an object or how something works.
You are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the writing score. The issues raised are of general interest and are easily understood by test takers entering undergraduate studies or seeking professional registration.
General training
You are presented with a situation and are asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style.
You are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The essay can be less formal in style and have a more personal response than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the writing score.
Skills Assessed
- Content
- The organization of ideas
- The accuracy and range of vocabulary and grammar
Marking
You are assessed on your performance on each task by certified IELTS examiners according to the IELTS writing test assessment criteria (task cohesion, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy). The public version of the assessment criteria can be found at ieltsidpindia.com criteria Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
Top 5 approved examiner writing tips
- In your writing test, there are no right or wrong answers or opinions. The examiners are assessing how well you can use your English to report information and express ideas.
- Analyse the questions carefully to make sure your answer addresses all the points covered by the question.
- Notice the minimum word limit. If you write less than 150 words for Task 1 and less than 250 for Task 2, you will lose marks.
- Be careful to use your own words because the examiner will not include words copied from the question in the word count.
- You must write both of your answers in full, not in note form or bullet points. You must arrange your ideas in paragraphs to show the examiner that you can organise your main and supporting points.
