If you are dreading the writing section of the Academic IELTS, it is fairly normal since it is widely known for being more difficult than the other modules. Often people fail to get their desire score, because they put less emphasis on the IELTS writing section, and focus more on the reading and listening section. Sometimes unexpected things happen in the exam hall, and you might bomb those sections where you put your most effort. Thus, people end up with a poor band score in the IELTS writing section and end up getting a mediocre overall band score in the IELTS exam.

Understanding the IELTS Writing Test:

Purpose: According to the British Council, the test is designed to assess how you “write a response appropriately, organize ideas and use a range of vocabulary and grammar accurately.”

Format: There are two writing tasks and BOTH must be completed.

Timing: The IELTS Writing test takes 60 minutes. Spend 20 minutes on Task 1, and 40 minutes on Task 2. You will need to manage your own time, so make sure you move on to Task 2 after 20 minutes.

Task Types: You will be asked to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2.

In Task 1 you will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram. You will be asked to describe, summarize 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.

Answering: No bullet points are acceptable as answers. Therefore, you should always form a complete sentence and answer the questions in multiple paragraphs. While presenting your argument, make sure you maintain a coherence.

Marking: Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1 in the IELTS Writing test.

Scoring Criteria of IELTS Writing Test:

The examiners will be using the following assessment criteria for both the tasks:

• Task achievement/response: Here, the examiner will check how well a candidate addressed the task.
• Coherence and cohesion: This descriptor looks at how well the answer is organized and how well it progresses.
• Lexical resources: This criterion aims to check candidate’s vocabulary choice.
• Grammatical range and accuracy: The examiner will also look at the frequency of grammatical errors and punctuation.

Each criterion holds 25% marks. Your final score will be the average of the four criteria above.

8 handy tips to score 7+ in IELTS writing:

1. Understand the question:

This is very important! Read the question attentively and be clear about what to write.

2. Plan answers:

After you understand the question, spend some time brainstorming your ideas and planning your answer. This aids in developing a structured answer.

3. Keen an eye on the layout:

Different topics need to be explained in separate paragraphs. Each body paragraph starts with the topic sentence, followed by supporting sentences and examples.

4. Use varied sentence structures:

Demonstrate a variety of sentence structures in your writing to get a higher score. Include simple, compound and complex sentences.

5. Count the words:

As stated earlier, task 1 and task 2 call for at least 150 and 250 words, respectively. Your band score may be reduced if you write less than this. Also, quality over quantity. Do not write too much either.

6. Maintain a formal tone:

Getting the tone right is vital on your IELTS Writing test. Practice your writing in a passive voice. Avoid abbreviations, contractions, slang expressions, colloquial words and clichés. Do not use “you” (second person pronouns) while addressing readers. (You wouldn’t wanna write like this!)

7. Include transitional words:

Getting the tone right is vital on your IELTS Writing test. Practice your writing in a passive voice. Avoid abbreviations, contractions, slang expressions, colloquial words and clichés. Do not use “you” (second person pronouns) while addressing readers. (You wouldn’t wanna write like this!)

8. Last but by no means least – time management:

I cannot stress enough on this. Understand what the time limit feels like. You must practice quite a few mock tests in order to get the sense of the time constraint during the exam. Spending three to five minutes to brainstorm and plan your essay will save you a lot of time later.

The biggest blunders people make with the writing module is when they skip both planning and checking at the end. When you check, look for any mistakes you might have made in spelling, grammar, vocabulary, etc.

Practice, practice and practice! The more practice you have, the better you will become.

We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the Academic IELTS Writing Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below.

We also offer a detailed guide for mastering the two tasks of the Academic IELTS Writing Section. So keep your eye out for the upcoming post as you wouldn’t want to miss the in-depth strategies crucial for scoring a band 7 in your IELTS writing. Good luck!

Disclaimer: No A.I. was used to generate portion of this content.