IELTS Academic Format Writing

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Reading Module

Listening Module

Speaking Module

About the IELTS Academic Writing Format

The IELTS Writing test is conducted to assess your ability to write a response to a given condition. It evaluates your ability to argue, discuss and summarize, or think about solutions and draft in a coherent way by using relevant vocabulary and grammatical accuracy. This writing section is conducted in 60 minutes, in which candidates are asked to complete two tasks.

In the first task, they are required to write a 150-word essay in 20 minutes, and in the second task, they have to finish writing a 250-word essay within 40 minutes. The writing test is scored on a band scale of 0 to 9 in increments of 0.5 based on specific marking criteria.

Overview of IELTS Academic Writing

Time allowed

60 minutes

Number of tasks

Marking

Task 1 checks the Task Achievement, and Writing Task 2 ascertains the Task Response.

Marking Criteria

IELTS writing is marked on four basic assessment criteria. The examiners give you a band score in IELTS writing. Here are the four assessment criteria used for marking

Task Achievement/ Task Response

This refers to effectively addressing all key points and completing the task requirements by elaborating ideas and supporting them with suitable examples.

Cohesion and coherence

This means how well your text is structured. To increase the coherence and cohesion score, you should learn paragraphing. Ensure to get clear ideas from paragraphs. You should use cohesive devices (ex., connectors, pronouns, conjunctions) and linking words.

Lexical resources

This describes how good you are at vocabulary. It is good to use a range of vocabulary to increase the lexical resource score and avoid errors in word formation and spelling.

Grammar accuracy and range

This describes how good your grammar is. To increase the Grammatical Range & Accuracy score, you must use various types of grammatical structures and tenses. It is suggested to avoid sentence errors and manage punctuation.

Your writing essays will be evaluated generally by 2 examiners, and this helps maintain accuracy and consistency in your marking. The band score is scaled between 0 and 9. You can enhance your band score by building a cohesive writing vocabulary.

Tasks in IELTS Academic Writing

In the IELTS writing test, there are two tasks given to candidates

Academic Writing - Task 1

What's involved?

In task 1, you should describe visual information. You have to write 150 words within 20 minutes of the task. This task is shorter than task 2, and contributes less, in fact half of the total score, to your writing in IELTS. The visual information you should describe may be in the form of tables, graphs, charts, maps, or diagrams. For example, you may need to write a 150-word report on a given graph or chart that describes participants who played the Olympics in 2024. The most important point to consider is the instruction in this task, which says “Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.”

What skills are tested?

It evaluates your skills to identify the important and relevant information from a given table, graph, chart or diagram in a structured manner.

How much do I have to write?

You should write a minimum of 150 words in task 1.

Academic Writing - Task 2

What's involved?

In task 2, you get a problem, argument or point of view. You should write a minimum of 250 words within 40 minutes. It takes longer than Task 1. It is a tougher task than Task 1, because you need to organize your answers in a clear way and give examples to support your ideas in this task. The topic on which you should write 250 words is related to the environment, education, money, business, lifestyle, etc. You should write essays to give solutions to problems, convey your ideas, and present information in a clear way to justify your opinions.

What skills are tested?

It tests your skills to present ideas in the right order, comprehensively cover the question prompt, and connect ideas while writing. It also evaluates your skill to justify arguments with relevant examples.

How much do I have to write?

Minimum of 250 words

Ready to Start

General Tips for Writing Format in IELTS Academic

AlfaIELTS recommended some best IELTS writing tips to score well and brighten your future. Here are tips you should follow

Read the questions & instructions carefully

One of the most common reasons for low band scores in writing is not understanding the questions and instructions properly. So, you should be familiar with the IELTS academic writing questions and the instructions. The questions are easy to understand, but you need to look at their structures and understand how to study them.

Plan your answer

Another writing tip for your higher band score is to plan your answer. Always spend a few minutes planning your answer before you start writing. Planning answers earlier helps to save your time and leads to more relevant answers.

If you plan your essay before you start writing, you'll already know what you’re going to say. This way, you may be able to write much quicker than without a plan.

Understand the structure

You need to understand the answer structures for Task 1 and Task 2. This is one of the most precious IELTS writing tips to follow. Sometimes, you’ll need to evolve them a little, but the basic structure stays the same. However, they are easy to understand and with practice, you will be able to write high-scoring answers in the allotted time.

Understand the marking criteria

AlfaIELTS recommends you understand what examiners need and be familiar with marking criteria to get a high score in IELTS academic writing. It is an important step to take to gain achievement by understanding the marking criteria. The main skill areas you should work on are Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Vocabulary (Lexical Resource) and Grammar.

Be familiar with common topics

There are specific subjects that are frequently repeated in the Writing test. If you practice writing essays on common topics as part of your preparation, you prepare better for the exam day. You can enroll with AllfaIELTS classes to learn about common topics used in the Writing test, and prepare confidently for a high hand score.

Use synonyms & paraphrasing

You will need to use the important words from the questions for your answers. Where possible, you can also use synonyms to repeat the same words.

This is important for achieving a high score for lexical resource (vocabulary) that matters for 25% of the total marks. The examiner will not be impressed if you only use the same words again and again. You also need to know how to paraphrase by using the best sentence structures and synonyms. Write the right range of words. Strictly adhere to word limits in tasks, like 150 words in Task 1 and 250 words in Task 2.

Be relevant

Every part of your answer must be relevant to the question. The question tells you what to write exactly, so ensure that you do not go off-topic. For example, if a question is about the impact of fossil fuels on global warming, write about this specific topic only, and not about global warming in general.

Manage time well

Ideally, you should allocate 20 minutes to Task 1 and 40 minutes to Task 2. Carefully analysing the diagram in Task 1, and planning your response in Task 2, will help you to complete your answers well in time.

Proofread your answers

One of the easiest ways to lose marks in the writing section is the failure to double-check and edit small yet crucial mistakes in grammar, word choice, or spelling. So, make sure you manage some time at the end to read your work and proofread.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to get 8 bands in IELTS academic writing?

You should practice regularly and be familiar with both tasks to get 8 bands in the writing module. You should always remember to answer all parts of your writing test, focus on building a strong vocabulary, use examples that describe your opinions, follow essay structure, and use the right tenses. It is also suggested to avoid grammatical errors in your writing module, to score well in writing tests.

Why is IELTS academic writing difficult?

The IELTS academic writing is a difficult exam because it is assessed based on 4 marking criteria. Grammar, vocabulary, structure, and task response are all evaluated for an overall score in your writing module. However, you can clear this test easily by practicing regularly.

Can I rewrite the IELTS writing test?

If you want to increase your IELTS score, then you can rewrite the writing test.

Can I write over 250 words in Task 2 of writing?

No, you can't write more than 250 words. You should follow the instructions given and stay limited to word count while answering task 2.

How to practice for the IELTS writing test?

You can easily practice for the IELTS writing test by familiarising yourself with task types, using standard study materials, and practicing online to enhance your performance. It is also recommended to learn less common words and build vocabulary.