Find out about the IELTS Listening section
Your guide to the IELTS Writing test
The IELTS Writing test assesses how well you communicate in written English. For a good score, you’ll need to interpret, organise and communicate information using the correct grammar and vocabulary.
What is the IELTS Writing test?
The IELTS Writing section tests how well you can communicate in written English. Across two tasks, you will write texts for different audiences and purposes, such as a letter or an information summary, and a formal essay.
Topics are relevant and interesting, and you won’t need specialist knowledge to write about them.
The IELTS Writing test requires you to complete two tasks within 60 minutes. Since Task 2 is worth more than Task 1, recommended time limits are:
- Task 1: 20 minutes
- Task 2: 40 minutes
IELTS Writing is assessed using four criteria:
- Task achievement (Task 1) / Task response (Task 2)
- Coherence and cohesion
- Lexical resource
- Grammatical range and accuracy
For more information on how the IELTS Writing section is scored, visit How is IELTS assessed?
IELTS Writing test video tutorial
In this video, our expert IELTS Teacher, Tom, will give you the lowdown on the IELTS Writing test structure.
How do Academic and General Training Writing sections compare?
The requirements for Task 1 are different in IELTS Academic than in IELTS General Training. This helps us to assess whether you have the required writing skills for your plans.
IELTS Writing Task 1
In Task 1 the Academic test requires you to describe the main features of a graph, table, chart or diagram.
For the General Training test, you’ll need to write a letter responding to a situation. For example, a request, explanation, viewpoint or complaint. You need to use the right tone – formal, semi-formal or informal – for the context.
For both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, you will need to write at least 150 words within the recommended time of 20 minutes, leaving you 40 minutes for Task 2.
IELTS Writing Task 2
Task 2 of both versions of the test involves writing an essay responding to a point of view, argument, or problem. You might need to present and justify an opinion, compare different views, discuss advantages and disadvantages, or propose solutions to a problem. You will need to support your position with examples.
Task 2 tests your ability to develop ideas, construct arguments, and express opinions, so it requires more complex thought. You’ll need to write a minimum of 250 words in a formal tone.
Tips from our IELTS Writing experts
Here are some top tips to help you achieve the score you need in the IELTS Writing test:
Plan before you write
Spend a few minutes to consider how to answer the question before you start
Write in full sentences
It’s important to show you can use grammar structures correctly
Set the right tone
Use a tone in your writing that is appropriate for the context
What skills do I need for IELTS Writing?
You’ll need to understand, balance and analyse views or problems to identify trends, make comparisons, and present data objectively, without giving opinions.
You’ll need to be able to write in English using a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. Include an overview sentence on IELTS Academic Task 1 that summarises the main trend or feature of the visual.
You’ll need to structure your responses to include an introduction, a body and a conclusion, showing that you can organise ideas logically. Use clear paragraphs, logical progression and a range of linking words to aid coherence.
In Task 2, you will need to present a clear position, develop your arguments fully, and stay relevant to the topic throughout. The task may involve comparing different views, discussing advantages and disadvantages, or proposing solutions to a problem. Support your position with examples.
Don’t exceed 20% over the recommended minimum word count. You want to write enough to showcase your skills, but don’t include irrelevant information that doesn’t address the question.
You will need to manage how much time you spend on each task, giving yourself enough time to do both well. Save time to transfer your answers to your answer sheet and to check your responses for mistakes at the end.
Related Pages
Get to know the IELTS Speaking section
Get to know the IELTS Reading section