IELTS Writing Guide: Task 1, Task 2 and Assessment Criteria

Currency note: This guide was checked on 5 August 2026 against information published by the official test owner. Dates, fees, test-centre availability, acceptance and visa rules can change, so confirm the current official notice and the requirements of your receiving organisation before booking.

IELTS Writing Guide: Task 1, Task 2 and Assessment Criteria brings the current official structure together with the practical actions a candidate should take. IELTS reports Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking on a 0–9 band scale. Academic and General Training share the same Listening and Speaking tests, while Reading and Writing differ in purpose and text type. UKVI and Life Skills products follow separate immigration requirements.

In brief

Academic Task 1 requires selection, comparison and an overview of key features. General Task 1 requires appropriate purpose, tone and coverage of all bullet points. Task 2 is an essay in both tests and carries greater weight.

Current official framework

Assessment covers task achievement/response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Memorised language does not improve the score when it is not relevant to the prompt.

Turning the format into preparation

Separate planning, drafting and controlled revision time, and use the scoring criteria during planning rather than only after writing.

Actionable preparation plan

1. Identify purpose, audience, required sources and word/time limits before drafting.
2. Give each paragraph one function: claim, explanation, evidence, comparison or conclusion.
3. Do not mix Academic and General Training Reading/Writing materials; only Listening and Speaking are shared.
4. Split revision into four passes: content coverage, cohesion, lexical choice and grammar.
5. Use formulaic language only where it carries meaning; off-topic memorised material can reduce task fulfilment.
6. Practise computer delivery and any Writing on Paper option according to the current centre offering.

Common mistakes for this topic

• Missing the task type, audience or source-use requirement.
• Adding words at the expense of a clear position and paragraph purpose.
• Adding new content until the final second without revision time.
• Mixing Academic and General Training Reading/Writing tasks.

Quick self-check for IELTS

If you cannot evidence all three points in your IELTS preparation, repair the current study process before adding more resources.

• I identify task and audience before drafting.
• Each paragraph has one clear function.
• I reserve fixed revision time.

Frequently asked questions

Is word count more important than content?

Both are task requirements. Reaching a limit does not compensate for incomplete task coverage or weak organisation.

How much revision time should I leave?

Set a fixed final-review allowance and divide it across content, cohesion, lexical choice and grammar.