IELTS Writing: Complete Guide to Tasks, Timing and Scoring
How IELTS Writing works: Academic and General Training Task 1, Task 2, timings, word counts, the four marking criteria and the penalties to avoid.
3 min read · Updated 2026-10-31
IELTS Writing is a 60-minute test with two tasks. Task 2 is the same type of essay in both Academic and General Training. Task 1 is different: Academic candidates describe visual information, while General Training candidates write a letter.
The format at a glance
| Academic | General Training | |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | Describe a graph, chart, table, diagram, map or process. | Write a letter that covers three bullet points. It may be personal, semi-formal or formal. |
| Task 1 length | At least 150 words, about 20 minutes. | At least 150 words, about 20 minutes. |
| Task 2 | An essay responding to a point of view, argument or problem. | An essay responding to a point of view, argument or problem. |
| Task 2 length | At least 250 words, about 40 minutes. | At least 250 words, about 40 minutes. |
You can do the tasks in any order. On the computer-delivered test you see a live word count and your work is saved automatically, but there is no spellchecker. See the computer-delivered test screen.
How Writing is marked
Each task is marked against four criteria with equal weight:
- Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2): how fully and accurately you answer the question. Read the guide.
- Coherence and Cohesion: how logically your ideas are organised and linked. Read the guide.
- Lexical Resource: the range and accuracy of your vocabulary. Read the guide.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: the variety and correctness of your sentences. Read the guide.
The four criterion scores give a band for each task. The two task bands are then combined, with Task 2 counting double, to give your Writing band in whole or half bands. Your Writing band then counts as one quarter of your overall band; see IELTS band scores explained.
Penalties to avoid
These come from the official marking guidance, in our own words:
- Very short answers. A response of 20 words or fewer is given Band 1 on every criterion.
- Writing well under the minimum. Being far below 150 or 250 words is treated as a low-band feature and limits your Task Achievement or Task Response score.
- Copying the question. Words lifted from the prompt are not counted towards your word total or your vocabulary range.
- Going off topic. An answer that has nothing to do with the question scores very low, including on Coherence and Cohesion.
- Memorised answers. A wholly memorised script can receive Band 0. Memorised chunks and stock phrases are treated as a weakness in vocabulary.
- Notes and bullet points. Your answer must be written as connected prose.
Guides in this section
The tasks
- Academic Writing Task 1: charts, tables, maps and processes
- General Training Writing Task 1: the letter
- Writing Task 2: the essay
The marking criteria, band by band
- Task Achievement and Task Response
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Lexical Resource
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Related guides
Sources
- IELTS, Academic Writing format
- IELTS, General Training Writing format
- IELTS, Writing band descriptors (PDF)
- IELTS, Scoring in detail
Questions people ask
How long is the IELTS Writing test?
60 minutes for two tasks. A sensible split is about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2.
Which task is more important?
Task 2. It counts twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band, so give it more time and do not let Task 1 run over.
Am I penalised for writing more than the minimum?
No. There is no upper limit, but writing far more than needed costs time you could spend planning and checking.
Can I use bullet points?
No. Both tasks must be written in full sentences and paragraphs. Notes and bullet points are penalised.
Try it in a real-format test.
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