The two tasks, in 60 minutes
You have 60 minutes for both tasks, and you manage the time yourself.
- Task 1 (at least 150 words, about 20 minutes). Academic: describe a chart, table, process or map, reporting the main trends and comparisons. General Training: write a letter, formal, semi-formal or informal, covering three bullet points.
- Task 2 (at least 250 words, about 40 minutes). An essay giving your opinion, discussing two views, explaining problems and solutions, or weighing advantages and disadvantages.
Task 2 counts for more than Task 1, so never let Task 1 run over. Our 104 prompts cover every Academic visual type, all GT letter styles and all essay types.
The four criteria examiners use
Each task is marked on four equally weighted criteria.
- Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2): did you answer the question fully, with a clear position and developed ideas?
- Coherence and Cohesion: is your writing logically organised, with clear paragraphs and natural linking?
- Lexical Resource: do you use a range of words accurately and appropriately?
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: do you use varied sentence structures with few errors?
Knowing this changes how you practise. An essay full of impressive words can still score 6.0 if it does not answer the question.
Common mistakes Indian students make, and how to fix them
These patterns are common across India, including among Lucknow's English-medium and Hindi-medium graduates alike. None of them mean your English is poor; they are habits, and habits can change.
- Memorised openings and phrases. Lines like "In this modern era of globalisation" or "Every coin has two sides" are recognised by examiners and add nothing. Write a plain, direct introduction that paraphrases the question and states your view.
- Over-long introductions. Some students spend 80 words before reaching the point. Two or three sentences is enough.
- Indian-English usage. Phrases such as "revert back", "discuss about", "return back", "cope up with", "do the needful" and "prepone" are understood in India but count as errors or informal usage in IELTS. Write "reply", "discuss", "return", "cope with".
- Formal Hindi and Urdu patterns carried into English. Lucknow's polished, courteous style of speech can lead to very long, ornate sentences. In IELTS, clarity beats ornament. Split sentences that run past three lines.
- Listing ideas without developing them. One idea, explained with a reason and an example, beats three ideas mentioned in passing.
- Missing the overview in Academic Task 1. Without a clear summary of the main trends, Task Achievement is usually capped.
How IELTS Learning helps you improve
AI-estimated bands on every criterion
Submit any Task 1 or Task 2 response and you receive an estimated band for each of the four criteria, with feedback explaining why. This shows you exactly which criterion is holding you back, so you can focus your next five essays on it.
Teacher sessions for a second opinion
AI feedback is fast and consistent, but a human teacher can see patterns across your work and explain them in conversation. Book a Teacher gives you a 1-to-1 online session of about 20 minutes from ₹299. Bring two or three marked essays and ask for help with the criterion that keeps scoring lowest.
Study Notes and English Improvement
The Writing chapters in Study Notes explain each essay type and Task 1 format. English Improvement covers the grammar points that cost marks most often: articles, subject-verb agreement, tense consistency and punctuation.
Writing practice that fits life in Lucknow
Writing needs a clear head, so it is the one module you should not squeeze into a crowded metro ride. Many students and professionals here find a quiet weekend morning or the early hours before work best.
- Week rhythm: two Task 2 essays and one Task 1 per week, each written to time.
- Write on screen if you are taking computer-delivered IELTS, and by hand if you are taking paper.
- Rewrite one essay a week using the feedback. Rewriting teaches more than writing a new one.
If you are applying to UK, Canadian or Australian universities, remember that many courses set a minimum band for Writing as well as overall. Check the exact requirement with the university.
IELTS Writing practice with full feedback is part of Full Access at ₹999 for 2 months. Start with a free account and explore the free sample test's Writing tasks first.