Skill hub
IELTS Writing
Two tasks, one hour, one band. The examiner marks you against four public criteria, and every Writing guide on this site starts from what those criteria actually say.
Same test on Academic and General Training, except Task 1: a report on a chart or diagram on Academic, a letter on General Training.
- 60 min
- Two tasks, no break between them
- 150 / 250
- Word minimums for Task 1 and Task 2
- 2×
- Task 2 counts twice Task 1 in the Writing band
What the test asks for
Task 1 is a short piece of at least 150 words, with about 20 minutes to write it. Task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words that responds to a point of view, an argument or a problem, and it takes the other 40 minutes. Both are compulsory, both are marked separately, and Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in the Writing band. Answers are typed, unless you have chosen the Writing on Paper option where it is offered.
| Aspect | Academic | General Training |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | Describe visual information: a graph, table, chart, diagram or process, in your own words | Write a letter in response to a situation, covering three bullet points, in a personal, semi-formal or formal style |
| Task 2 | An essay of at least 250 words | An essay of at least 250 words |
| Weighting | Task 2 counts twice Task 1 | Task 2 counts twice Task 1 |
How it is scored
Four criteria with equal weight: Task Achievement for Task 1 or Task Response for Task 2, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each gets a band, the four are averaged for the task, and the two task bands combine into your Writing score. The public band descriptors say what each band looks like in each column, which is why the guides below quote them rather than paraphrase them.
Start with how Writing is marked
Where marks go missing
- Coming in under the word minimum. There is no penalty table, but a short answer cannot fully address the task.
- Answering the topic instead of the question. Task Response is about the specific instruction, not the subject.
- Treating linking words as cohesion. Band 7 asks for logical progression, and over-use of connectives is named in the descriptor.
- Reaching for rare vocabulary. Precision and collocation score; a wrong rare word costs more than a right plain one.
Check a draft against the word minimum
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Words, Task 2
0
of 250 minimum
Paste or type your Task 2 answer above. The minimum for Task 2 is 250 words.
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Minimum for Task 2
- 250
- Words still needed
- 250
Writing guides
All 6 in the guides indexWriting
Task Response: What Examiners Are Actually Looking For
What the task response criterion measures in IELTS Writing Task 2, how the band descriptors describe bands 5 to 8, and what separates band 6 from band 7.
Published
Writing
Coherence and Cohesion: The Criterion Most Candidates Misread
What coherence and cohesion actually measure in IELTS Writing, why more linking words is not the fix, and what band 7 requires instead.
Published
Writing
Lexical Resource: Why a Bigger Vocabulary Is Not the Answer
What the lexical resource criterion rewards in IELTS Writing, why precision and collocation beat rare words, and what changes between band 6 and band 7.
Published
Writing
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Range Without Errors
How grammatical range and accuracy is scored in IELTS Writing, why both playing safe and overreaching cap the band, and what band 7 asks for.
Published
Writing
How IELTS Writing Is Marked: The Four Criteria and How They Combine
What the four IELTS Writing assessment criteria measure, how Task 1 and Task 2 combine into one Writing band, and how to read the public band descriptors.
Published
Writing
How to Structure IELTS Writing Task 2 for a Band 7+
A reliable four-paragraph structure for IELTS Writing Task 2 essays, with what examiners look for in task response, coherence, vocabulary, and grammar.
Published
Format facts checked against ielts.org on 6 September 2026. Band-level claims come from the public Writing band descriptors and the key assessment criteria document.
More hubs
Get your Writing marked against the same four criteria
The Compass IELTS app scores Task 1 and Task 2 per criterion and tells you which column is holding the band.