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IELTS writing practice works best when every piece has a purpose: you write to the real time limit, check your work against the four marking criteria, and fix one weakness at a time. This guide gives you one Task 1 and two Task 2 practice questions with annotated model answers, plus a self-check system you can use on everything you write.
The model answers were written for this guide. They show the features examiners reward, but they aren’t official IELTS answers and don’t carry an official band. For examiner-marked examples, see IELTS’s sample responses with band scores.
- The IELTS Writing Test: Format and Timing
- How IELTS Writing Is Scored
- Task 1 Practice: Sample Question and Model Answer
- Task 2 Practice: Discussion Essay
- Task 2 Practice: Problem-and-Solution Essay
- How to Check Your Own IELTS Writing Practice
- Six IELTS Writing Mistakes to Check For
- Frequently Asked Questions
Write to the real time limit (about 20 minutes for Task 1, 40 for Task 2), check each piece against the four marking criteria with a checklist, and fix one weakness at a time. Task 1 needs at least 150 words and Task 2 at least 250, and Task 2 counts twice as much. Have your writing marked by a qualified teacher when you can.
The IELTS Writing Test: Format and Timing
The Writing test lasts 60 minutes and has two tasks. There’s no separate timer for each task, so dividing your time is up to you, and it’s one of the most important skills to practise. See the official IELTS Writing format.
| Task | Suggested time | Minimum | Weight | Academic | General Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | About 20 minutes | 150 words | About a third | Describe a graph, chart, table, map or process | Write a formal, semi-formal or informal letter |
| Task 2 | About 40 minutes | 250 words | About two thirds | Write an essay | Write an essay, as in Academic |
Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band.
IELTS doesn’t require a particular order. Some candidates start with Task 2 because it’s worth more; others do the tasks in the order they appear. Practise both and keep whichever lets you finish both tasks with time to check.
How IELTS Writing Is Scored
Each task is marked on four criteria. The first one has a different name in each task. See the official Writing criteria and resources.
| Criterion | Task 1 | Task 2 | What it assesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Task Achievement | Task Response | Have you covered every part of the task? Task 1: an overview and the key features. Task 2: a clear position and well-developed ideas |
| 2 | Coherence and Cohesion | Coherence and Cohesion | Is the writing logically organised, with clear paragraphs and ideas that connect? |
| 3 | Lexical Resource | Lexical Resource | Is the vocabulary varied, accurate and appropriate, with natural collocations? |
| 4 | Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Is there a variety of structures, and are most sentences correct? |
The four criteria are equally weighted within each task.
| Band | Task Response | Coherence | Vocabulary | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 5 | Answers the task only partly; position not always clear | Some organisation, but linking is often faulty | Limited range, with noticeable errors | Limited structures, with frequent errors |
| Band 6 | Answers all parts, some more fully than others; conclusions may be unclear | Clear overall progression, but linking can be faulty or mechanical | Adequate range; errors don’t stop communication | A mix of simple and complex sentences, with some errors |
| Band 7 | Answers all parts, with a clear position throughout | Logically organised, with clear progression and paragraphs | Enough range for some precision, including less common words; occasional errors | A variety of complex structures; frequent error-free sentences |
| Band 8 | Answers all parts fully, with well-developed, supported ideas | Logically sequenced, with cohesion well managed | A wide range used flexibly; rare errors | A wide range of structures; most sentences error-free |
A simplified summary of the public band descriptors; read them for the full wording.
Task 1 Practice: Sample Question and Model Answer
Write your own answer first, in 20 minutes, then compare it with the model.
Illustrative practice data created for this exercise; these figures are fictional and do not report real country statistics.
Data:Online banking: UK 74% | Germany 62% | Pakistan 28% | Nigeria 19%
Social media: UK 68% | Germany 55% | Pakistan 71% | Nigeria 63%
Online shopping: UK 82% | Germany 78% | Pakistan 31% | Nigeria 22%
Accessing news: UK 61% | Germany 57% | Pakistan 44% | Nigeria 49%
This teaching example has not received an official score; IELTS responses are assessed by examiners against all criteria. See official examiner-scored examples.
The table illustrates the proportion of adults in the United Kingdom, Germany, Pakistan, and Nigeria who engaged in four online activities in 2023.
Overall, the UK and Germany recorded higher internet usage than Pakistan and Nigeria across most categories. However, social media was a notable exception, with Pakistan registering the highest figure of all four countries.
Online shopping was the most widely used internet activity in both the UK (82%) and Germany (78%), with both countries recording substantially higher rates than Pakistan (31%) and Nigeria (22%). Online banking followed a similar pattern, with the UK at 74% and Germany at 62%, compared to considerably lower figures in Pakistan (28%) and Nigeria (19%).
Social media usage presented a strikingly different picture. Pakistan recorded the highest proportion at 71%, exceeding even the UK (68%) and significantly outpacing Germany (55%). Nigeria, at 63%, also exceeded Germany on this measure. Accessing news showed the smallest variation between countries, ranging from 44% in Pakistan to 61% in the UK.
- Overview in Paragraph 2 makes two clear observations — European countries are higher overall, but Pakistan leads on social media — without any numbers.
- Paragraphs 3 and 4 group the data logically: shopping/banking together (similar pattern), then social media separately (different pattern).
- Specific comparisons made: “substantially higher”, “considerably lower”, “strikingly different” — varied comparison language throughout.
- The final comparison describes the figures; avoid inferring causes or country-level patterns that the practice table does not establish.
- Introduction paraphrases the task: “illustrates the proportion of adults who engaged in” instead of “shows the percentage who used.”
Task 2 Practice: Discussion Essay
This question asks you to discuss both views and give your opinion: three things to do, not two. Write your answer in 40 minutes in the timer below, before you read the model.
Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. Others argue that students should pay for their own tuition. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Write at least 250 words.
This is the essay from our free IELTS level check. When you’ve finished, copy it into a Word document with your name and the topic at the top, and send it from that page. It’s marked within 24 hours, one level check per person.
Spell check is off, as in IELTS on computer. The counter counts every word you type; in the real test, words copied from the question don’t count towards the 250.
A practice prompt and a model answer written for this guide, not an official IELTS question.
The question of who should pay for university education is widely debated. While some argue that higher education should be free for every student, others believe that graduates, who benefit most from a degree, should pay for it themselves. In my view, a mixed system, in which the state and students share the cost, is the fairest solution.
Those who support free university education argue that tuition fees keep talented students from poorer families out of higher education. If university were free, a place would depend on ability rather than on a family's income, and society as a whole would benefit from a wider pool of skilled graduates, such as doctors, engineers and teachers. Supporters also point out that an educated population brings benefits to everyone, not only to the graduates themselves.
On the other hand, those in favour of tuition fees argue that a degree usually leads to higher lifetime earnings, so it is reasonable for graduates to contribute to its cost. They also argue that taxpayers who never attended university should not have to carry the whole burden, and that universities which depend entirely on public money may struggle to maintain quality as student numbers rise.
In my opinion, neither extreme serves students well. A balanced approach, such as loans that graduates repay only once they earn above a certain salary, would mean that no student is turned away because of their background, while the cost is still shared between the state and the people who gain most from their degrees.
In conclusion, although both views have merit, I believe that sharing the cost of university between governments and graduates is fairer than making it either completely free or entirely paid for by students.
- The introduction paraphrases the question, presents both views, then gives a clear position ("a mixed system") in its final sentence.
- Each body paragraph covers one view: Paragraph 2 the case for free education, Paragraph 3 the case for fees, Paragraph 4 the writer's own position with a specific example (loans repaid above a salary threshold).
- The position is consistent: stated in Paragraph 1, developed in Paragraph 4 and restated in the conclusion.
- Arguments are supported with reasons and examples, not invented statistics.
- Vocabulary is precise without being forced: "widely debated", "a wider pool of skilled graduates", "lifetime earnings", "carry the whole burden".
- Word count: about 285 words, comfortably above the 250-word minimum.
Task 2 Practice: Problem-and-Solution Essay
This question has two parts: the problems, and the measures to address them. A strong answer gives each part real development. To write it against the clock, choose Problem and solution in the timer above.
A practice prompt and a model answer written for this guide, not an official IELTS question.
In many cities around the world, the number of cars on the road is rising steadily. In my view, the two most serious problems this causes are traffic congestion and air pollution, and both can be reduced through better public transport and policies that discourage unnecessary car use.
The most immediate consequence of rising car numbers is congestion. When roads carry more vehicles than they were designed for, journeys take longer and become less predictable, which costs commuters time and businesses money. Drivers also burn more fuel while sitting in slow traffic. In addition, emergency vehicles can be delayed in heavy traffic, which can put lives at risk.
A second, and arguably more serious, problem is the effect on air quality. Exhaust fumes release harmful pollutants into the air, and in busy city centres, where traffic is heaviest, this can damage residents' health, particularly that of children, older people and anyone with breathing problems.
Several measures could address these problems. First, governments could invest in fast, affordable and reliable public transport, such as metro and rapid bus systems, so that leaving the car at home becomes a realistic choice. Second, cities could introduce congestion charges, which make drivers pay to enter the busiest areas at peak times and so encourage people to travel at other times or by other means. Finally, incentives for electric vehicles, such as lower taxes or cheaper registration, would reduce exhaust emissions from the cars that remain on the road.
In conclusion, increasing car use leads mainly to congestion and air pollution. A combination of better public transport, congestion charges and cleaner vehicles offers the most effective way to tackle both problems.
- The introduction names both problems and the kind of solution, so the reader knows the structure from the start.
- Problems and solutions have separate paragraphs, with one problem in each body paragraph.
- The solutions paragraph answers both problems: public transport and congestion charges for congestion, electric vehicles for air quality, linked by "First", "Second" and "Finally".
- Each claim is explained through its consequences (lost time, delayed emergency vehicles, damage to health), not invented figures.
- The conclusion sums up the problems and the combination of solutions without adding anything new.
- Word count: about 275 words, comfortably above the 250-word minimum.
How to Check Your Own IELTS Writing Practice
After each practice essay, go through these checklists before you show it to a teacher. Self-checking doesn't replace expert feedback, but it catches the obvious problems and makes a teacher's feedback far more useful.
Task Response
- I've answered every part of the question, not just the part I found easier.
- My position is clear from the introduction and stays the same throughout.
- Each body paragraph makes one clear point, with a reason or an example.
- I haven't repeated the same point in different words.
- My conclusion only sums up: it doesn't bring in new arguments.
- My essay is at least 250 words, not counting any words copied from the question.
Coherence and Cohesion
- Each paragraph has a clear topic sentence.
- The ideas inside each paragraph follow a logical order.
- I've used linking words, but not the same one again and again.
- I've used words like "this", "these" and "it" correctly, to avoid repetition.
- My introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion are clearly separated.
Vocabulary and Grammar
- I've answered the exact question in my own words, with no memorised paragraphs.
- I've avoided needless repetition, and used varied words only where they keep my meaning accurate.
- I've used some less common vocabulary, accurately rather than to impress.
- I've mixed simple and complex sentences: not all long, not all short.
- I've checked subject-verb agreement, articles ("a", "an", "the") and tense consistency.
Self-checking finds the obvious problems: repeated words, missing paragraphs, ideas that wander off the topic. It can't catch the errors you make without noticing, collocations that sound natural to you but aren't, or a question you think you've answered fully but haven't. Those need an expert reader. Our free IELTS level check marks your Writing and Speaking within 24 hours.
Six IELTS Writing Mistakes to Check For
Many Task 2 questions have two or three parts: "discuss both views and give your opinion", or "what are the problems and what can be done?" Answering only the part you find easier lowers your Task Response score, however well that part is written. Count the parts, and answer every one.
Task 2 needs at least 250 words, and a very short essay gives the examiner too little evidence for the higher bands. There's no upper limit, but a much longer essay leaves less time for checking and often drifts off the question. Around 260–300 relevant words is plenty.
Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1. Practise until you can finish Task 1 in about 20 minutes, so Task 2 always gets its full 40.
Words copied from the question don't count towards your word count. Paraphrase it accurately, without changing its meaning just to avoid repeating a word.
Every main point needs a reason, an explanation or an example. A claim with nothing behind it reads as a generalisation and weakens Task Response. Keep examples realistic, and don't invent statistics.
Academic essays need a clear, fairly formal style; a General Training letter can be formal, semi-formal or informal, depending on the reader. Contractions aren't automatically wrong, but in a formal essay it's better to write "do not" than "don't".
Frequently Asked Questions
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