How do you get the IELTS Writing score you need?
To do well in the IELTS Writing test and get the IELTS band score you need, it’s important to know about the format of the writing test and to understand how your writing will be assessed.
It’s also important to prepare for the IELTS Writing test by practising IELTS Writing tasks and getting some feedback on your writing.
For some more advice about preparing for the IELTS writing test, have a look at the example answers and tips in the IELTS writing blog posts below.
What happens in the IELTS Writing test?
The IELTS Writing tests in IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are one hour long and contain two writing tasks each.
For Writing task 1 in IELTS Academic, you are given a graph, chart, table or diagram (or more than one of these) and asked to write a summary of the information shown.
For Writing task 1 in IELTS General Training, you are given a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining a situation.
In Writing task 2 in both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, you are asked to write an essay in response to a problem or an opinion on a topic of general interest.
In both tests, you have to write at least 150 words for writing task 1 and at least 250 words for task 2.
How will your writing be assessed in the IELTS test?
In the test, the examiner will grade your writing tasks from 0 to 9 based on the content of your answers, your organisation and linking, and your use of vocabulary and grammar.
For IELTS General Training writing, the examiner will look specifically at how well you can:
- give and request information and/or explain a situation in a letter
- present, develop and support your ideas about a particular topic in an essay
- organise and link the information and ideas in your writing clearly and appropriately
- use a range of vocabulary clearly, accurately and appropriately
- use both simple and complex grammar accurately and appropriately
For IELTS Academic writing, the examiner will look specifically at how well you can:
- summarise the important information in a graph, chart, table or diagram (or more than one of these)
- present, develop and support your ideas about a particular topic in an essay
- organise and link the information and ideas in your writing clearly and appropriately
- use a range of vocabulary clearly, accurately and appropriately
- use both simple and complex grammar accurately and appropriately
In both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, Writing task 2 contributes twice as much to your band score as Writing task 1.
How much will your writing score contribute to your overall score?
When you receive your results, you’ll get an individual band score for your writing (as well as for your listening, reading and speaking) and an overall band score.
Your overall band score will be calculated by averaging your individual band scores and then rounding to the nearest whole or half band.
If you score 6.5 for listening, 6.5 for reading, 6.0 for writing and 6.5 for speaking, for example, you’ll receive an overall band score of 6.5 (25.5 ÷ 4 = 6.375 = Band 6.5).
How can you prepare for the IELTS Writing test?
To give yourself the best chance of getting the IELTS Writing band score you need, it’s important to practice IELTS Writing tasks and to get some feedback on your writing.
If you’d like some individual help with your writing, have a look at our IELTS tutor profiles or check out our IELTS tutoring options for writing.
For some more advice about preparing for the IELTS Writing test, have a look at the example answers and tips in the IELTS writing blog posts below.
IELTS preparation blog – IELTS writing
Here are the latest posts from the IELTS writing categories of our IELTS preparation blog. Sign up to receive updates by email or RSS.
Have you got five minutes to watch an IELTS Writing Task 2 video?
Find out how to answer a common type of writing question in this IELTS Writing Task 2 video
In the video, I use a sample task and answer from one of our IELTS e-books to show you how to give yourself the best chance of getting the IELTS Writing band score you need.
The sample task is a type of Writing Task 2 question that’s common in both IELTS Academic and General Training.
(If you can’t view the video above, try viewing it directly on our YouTube channel). Read the full post »
One of the most common IELTS Writing Task 2 topics in 2012
IELTS Writing Task 2 questions on the topic of old age were used in several tests this year
From what IELTS candidates have told us about their IELTS tests this year, one of the most common IELTS Writing Task 2 topics of 2012 has been the topic of old age. It would therefore be a good idea for you to look at some examples of writing tasks on this topic and to improve your vocabulary related to this topic before your test.
Here are some of the IELTS Writing Task 2 questions on this topic that candidates have emailed us this year: Read the full post »
How not to introduce an IELTS Writing task 2 topic
An example of what you shouldn’t do when introducing an IELTS Writing Task 2 topic
As you probably know, in IELTS Writing Task 2 you have to write an essay on a particular topic of at least 250 words. What I’d like to show you today is what you shouldn’t do when you introduce the topic in the first paragraph of your essay.
First, have a look at the following IELTS Writing Task 2 topic and think about how you would introduce the topic.
IELTS Writing Task 2 (taken from the book Cambridge IELTS 8)
Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology.
In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make?
Has this become a positive or negative development?
Now read this introduction to the topic from a candidate’s essay and think about what the problem is. Read the full post »
To see how we can help you improve your English and get the IELTS band score you need, have a look at our IELTS tutor profiles or check out our IELTS tutoring options.
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