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Your Ultimate IELTS Guide

IELTS Writing Module Exam Format

Writing Module

This part of IELTS exam assesses your technical and analytical skills in writing. It tests how well you can organize the ideas, use a broad range of vocabulary and grammar, use the expressions and sentence structure etc.

Writing test is different for both IELTS Academic and GT. If the purpose of you is to go for higher studies in some English-speaking country such as Australia or Canada, you should take IELTS Academic. And if you wish to move abroad on work permit or plan to migrate, then you should choose IELTS General Test.

Here is the break-down for each type:

General StructureWriting AcademicWriting General
SectionsThere are two sections.It also has two sections.
No. of QuestionsIt has two questions in the form of Task 1 and Task 2.Here also, you find two questions i.e. Task 1 and Task 2
Type of QuestionsYou describe a chart, table, graph or diagram in Task 1. And you write an essay in Task 2.In Task 1, you write a letter which is easier part. And in the second Task, you must write an essay, give your opinion and justify it.
TimeA total of 60 minutes is given. 20 minutes for the first task and 40 minutes for the second one. However, you can divide your time between two tasks the way you prefer.You have 60 minutes in this type. You must manage your time, dividing it in 20 minutes and 40 minutes for Task 1 and Task 2 respectively.
Word CountFor Task 1: 150 words For Task 2: 250 wordsFor Task 1: 150 words For Task 2: 250 words
FocusTask 1: You should focus on tends, comparisons and contrasts, differences and stages, while summarizing the information. Also, you should avoid personal opinions.   Task2: Here you can give your personal opinions and present your arguments and discuss issues. You should write an essay which is clear and coherent, logical and well-organized.Task 1:  In this type, you write a letter based on general interest situations. The letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal.     Task 2: This is very similar to the Writing Academic. Here also, you should present your arguments clearly, provide relevant examples, and be coherent.
   
   
   

Marking Scheme:

Writing part is a challenging task in the IELTS exam. You cannot get the desired band unless you have worked on your grammar and vocabulary, sentence structure, cohesion and time management etc. As an advice, you must work hard and practice a lot before appearing in this section.

Each task in the Writing section has difference weightage. Be noted that the writing task 2 weighs twice than writing task 1.

There are certain factors involved in your score evaluation for this module such as follows:

  1. Lexical Resource
  2. Grammar and Vocabulary
  3. Task Achievement
  4. Coherence and Cohesion

You are given points based on above 4 criteria.

Writing Hacks:

Your IELTS Writing paper is marked by a certified examiner, therefore, you must be well-prepared prior to taking the exam. Keep in mind the following tips:

  1. Practice regularly and set time limit, as time management is the key.
  2. Plan before you write and understand the question thoroughly because half of your answer relies on the question.
  3. Do get reviewed what you write, by an IELTS expert.
  4. Use appropriate vocabulary and expressions.
  5. Be objective and avoid personal opinions.