How IELTS Writing is marked
Each Writing task is marked on four equally weighted criteria, and Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band. Answering the exact question, organising paragraphs clearly and controlling grammar matter more than rare vocabulary.
The two tasks
| Task 1 | Task 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Academic | Describe a chart, graph, table, map or process | An essay giving an opinion or discussing a problem |
| General Training | A letter (formal, semi-formal or informal) | An essay, as in Academic |
| Minimum length | 150 words | 250 words |
| Suggested time | 20 minutes | 40 minutes |
The four criteria
- Task Achievement (Task 1) / Task Response (Task 2): did you do what the question asked? In Academic Task 1 that means a clear overview of the main trends; in a letter it means covering all three bullet points with the right tone; in Task 2 it means answering every part of the question with a clear position.
- Coherence and Cohesion: logical order, one main idea per paragraph, and linking words that are accurate rather than repeated.
- Lexical Resource: range and accuracy of vocabulary, including spelling and word choice.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a mix of sentence structures and how many errors there are.
Common reasons answers lose marks
- No overview in Academic Task 1, or listing every number instead of comparing.
- Writing under the minimum length. Check with the word counter.
- Answering a related question instead of the one asked, or ignoring part of it.
- Memorised phrases that don't fit the topic.
- Spending too long on Task 1 and leaving Task 2 short, even though Task 2 is worth twice as much.