IELTS General Training Writing lasts a total of 60 minutes. The paper consists of 2 tasks (Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2) and candidates must answer BOTH tasks.
Answer format
Candidates write their answers in pen or pencil on Answer Sheets provided.
Timing
Students are advised to spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. They must complete both tasks in one hour.
Task 1
Candidates are asked to write a personal informal, semi-formal, or formal letter responding to a given problem or situation. Input to Task 1 includes a brief description of the problem or situation followed by 3 bullet points which tell the candidate what information is required in the letter. Candidates must write at least 150 words for this task.
Writing Task 1 assessment is based on the following criteria:
1) Task Achievement
2) Coherence and Cohesion
3) Lexical Resource
4) Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Task 2
The input to Task 2 consists of a statement of a point of view, and an argument or problem about a specific topic. This is followed by instructions asking candidates to discuss the topic by providing general factual information, outlining and/or presenting a solution, justifying an opinion, or evaluating ideas and evidence. Candidates are expected to produce a discursive piece of writing. Candidates must write at least 250 words for this task.
Writing Task 2 assessment is based on the following criteria:
1) Task Response
2) Coherence and Cohesion
3) Lexical Resource
4) Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Each of the tasks is assessed separately by a trained and qualified examiner and given a score. Writing Task 2 is worth more marks than Writing Task 1, so candidates should be sure to leave plenty of time to complete Writing Task 2. From July 1 2007 General Training Writing band scores will be reported in whole bands or half bands.