Not Finishing the Writing Task in Time – IELTS Writing Test

This is one of the most common questions I get about the IELTS writing test, after all it is a common concern and it is a good question to ask.  There are 3 ways to look at this concern; I just focus on one task (make sure it’s an extremely good piece of work) and not attempt the other task; I attempted both task 1 and 2, then end up not finishing both; I finish one task and not finish the other.

Although I would agree that the second task does have a heavier bearing on the total score, and scoring well on that task will certainly boost your total score; I will not advice devoting the whole hour to try and make sure that you will come up with “the best” task 2 that you can.

How to Improve Your Writing Skills – IELTS Writing

Based on my observation and from talking with our previous students, most find the IELTS writing test to be the hardest.   According to the students, the reason why they find the IELTS writing test difficult is because, they don’t write on a daily basis. 

I did some further digging; majority of our students were nurses, I asked if they had to write reports about their patients and what they did during their shifts.  Most admitted that they did write daily reports, but did not consider it as a writing practice.  I couldn’t blame them for not considering their daily report as practice for their IELTS writing test, as it turns out they could write their report with a mixture of English and our native language (Filipino/Tagalog),

Understanding the Question Task – IELTS Writing

It is important to fully understand what is being asked of you in the IELTS writing test to be able to perform the task properly. If you are still unfamiliar with the IELTS Golden Rule please visit my post on it. To understand what is being asked in the IELTS writing test, we need to find out what the topic is and what the topic question/task is.

Please check the IELTS.org test sample here

The task 2 writing task states:

A Guide to IELTS Writing Presentation

While it is true that the IELTS writing test is not marked for presentation, there is the psychological aspect you may want to consider.  Imagine attending an IELTS review class where the center has litter everywhere and the place doesn’t look like it has been cleaned for months; you would probably be able to focus more intently on the lectures if the place was cleaner and smelled better to.

You are not there in person to present your work to the examiner, try to always make your writing look presentable and easy to read as possible; I’m not suggesting that you have to have the penmanship of a scribe to pass the IELTS, all I’m suggesting is that make sure your work is easily read, I’m sure the examiner will appreciate it and hopefully be kinder when marking your work.

Here are some suggestions you may want to consider when practicing your IELTS writing:

What to expect from the IELTS Writing

The IELTS writing test is the most obvious difference between the academic module and the general training module.  Both module have 2 tasks given to the candidate, the obvious difference is the first task.

The general training module requires the candidate to respond to a situation that they could encounter in their daily life and write a letter accordingly.  The task could be anything from asking for information from a government office or making a request from a landlord; the candidate should use the proper format and follow instructions, especially with starting or ending the letter.  The candidate must write the letter with at least 150 words.

How IELTS Writing is being Scored

You should know that although the general training and academic writing task1 may be different, they are still scored in pretty much the same manner.  Task2 is the same for both general training and academic module.

If you already know which IELTS module you need to take, you can start practicing your writing.  If you’re taking the academic module, you can start looking and interpreting graphs, charts and maps; if you’re taking the general training module, you can start practicing writing letters to people around you.

5 tips for IELTS Writing

There are 2 types of writing test depending on whether you’re taking the general training or academic exam.  These 5 tips are relevant for both types.

·         Manage your time – you are given 1 hour to answer 2 tasks in the writing test.  Task1 accounts for one third of the score, while task2 accounts for the other two thirds.  Therefore it is logical to spend 20 minutes on the first task and 40 minutes for the second task.