IELTS Academic Writing Complete

Guide
I. What is IELTS academic writing?
II. How are you graded?
III. How can you improve your score quickly?

I. What is IELTS academic writing?

In IELTS academic writing you will write two essays.  The first essay, called
task 1, will require you to write a 150 word essay that describes a graph,
chart, or map.  In the second essay, called task 2, you will need to write a 250
word essay responding to a question.

 Click here for a guide to writing task 1

 Click here for a guide to writing task 2

II. How are you graded?

You will be graded on:

 Task achievement (25%)

o Did you answer the question?  Did you select the main
features successfully?  Did you write at least 150 words?
 Coherence and cohesion (25%)
o Is your essay well organized?  Did you write a separate
paragraph for each idea?  Did you use linking words?
 Lexical resource (25%)
o Did you use a range of vocabulary?  Did you use correct
spelling and appropriate word choice?  
 Grammatical range and accuracy (25%)
o Did you write both simple and complex sentences?  Did you
use the correct verb tense?  Did you use correct punctuation?

III. How can you improve your score quickly?

The only certain way to improve is to practice!. If you're not sure what to write,
try one of these ideas:

1. Keep a diary.  Write a few paragraphs about your day each night
before you go to sleep.  You should include some details about what
happened and how you felt.
2. Write a movie or book report.  After you finish watching or reading,
write about what happened in the movie/book, what you liked, and
what you didn't like.
3. Write a letter.  You could write to your friend, family member, or
romantic partner!  Tell them how much they mean to you, or tell them
a story.

Overall, the key to success in IELTS writing is to clearly communicate your

ideas to the examiner.  This is true for both academic and general IELTS. 
Grammar, vocabulary, and structure are all important in order to clearly
communicate an idea, but the focus should always be clear
communication.