Timing |
60 minutes |
Tasks types |
Two tasks: Task 1 and Task 2. You will be asked to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2 |
Format |
It has two parts |
Academic writing |
In Task 1 you will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram. You will be asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. This might involve describing and explaining data, describing the stages of a process or how something works, or describing an object or event. In Task 2 you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. You should find the issues interesting and easy to understand for people entering university courses or seeking professional registration. Write in a formal style in the IELTS Academic Writing test. |
General training writing |
In Task 1 you will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. You can write the letter in a personal, semi-formal or formal style. In Task 2 you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. You can use a fairly personal style. The topics used in the IELTS General Training Writing test are of general interest. |
Assessed writing skills |
The IELTS Writing test is designed to assess a wide range of writing skills, including how well you
- write a response appropriately
- organise ideas
- use a range of vocabulary and grammar accurately
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Assessed writing skills (Academic) |
In the first task, depending on the type of task, you will be assessed on your ability to organise, present and possibly compare data, to describe the stages of a process or procedure, to describe an object, event or sequence of events or to explain how something works. In the second task, depending on the type of task, you will be assessed on your ability to present a solution to a problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications, and evaluate and question ideas, evidence or arguments. |
Assessed writing skills (General Training) |
In the first task, depending on the type of task, you will be assessed on your ability to correspond in a personal way in order to: obtain and provide general factual information, express needs, desires, likes and dislikes and express opinions (views, complaints, etc.). The second task will test your ability to provide general factual information, summarise a problem and present a solution, present and possibly justify an opinion, and evaluate and question ideas, evidence or arguments. |
Marks |
Accredited IELTS examiners will assess your performance on each task according to the IELTS Writing test assessment criteria (performance/response to task, coherence and cohesion, lexical resources, grammatical variety and accuracy). You can find the public version of the assessment criteria here. Your Writing test will be marked by a certificated IELTS examiner. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1 in the IELTS Writing test. Scores are reported in whole and half bands.
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Prepare for IELTS Writing
Access the below IELTS preparation resources which will help you to understand the IELTS writing section and prepare with practice tests.
More information about IELTS Writing
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