Module format 

IELTS Academic Writing lasts a total of 60 minutes. It 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 

For Writing Task 1 candidates are given some visual information which may be presented in the form of one or more related diagrams, charts, graphs or tables. Candidates are asked to describe the information or data. They must write at least 150 words on 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 

For Writing Task 2, candidates are presented with an opinion, problem or issue which they must discuss. They may be asked to present the solution to a problem, present and justify an opinion, compare and contrast evidence or opinions, or evaluate and challenge an argument or idea. Candidates must write at least 250 words and are advised to spend 40 minutes on 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. Academic Writing band scores are reported in whole bands or half bands.

写作任务1 

题型解读： 

What are candidates required to do? 

In this part candidates may be asked to describe facts or figures presented in one or more charts, graphs or tables on a related topic; or they may be given a diagram of a machine, a device or a process and asked to explain how it works. Candidates should make sure to include the most important and the most relevant points in the diagram. Some minor points or details may be left out.

How long does it take? 

Candidates should not spent more than 20 minutes on this task. 

What skills are being tested? 

Candidates will be assessed on their ability to choose and clearly describe the most important and relevant information on the diagram or chart. They will be assessed on how well they can organise the information as well as the accuracy of their use of language. The register or style of Task 1 is academic, so an academic writing style should be used. Candidates are also asked to write at least 150 words and will be penalised if their answer is too short. However, candidates will not be penalised for writing more than 150 words, but they should remember that a longer Task 1 answer may mean that they have less time to spend on Task 2 and so they may lose marks there. Remember that Task 2 is worth more marks and candidates should make sure that they have left themselves an adequate amount of time.

How is Task 1 assessed? 

Examiners assess the answer according to these criteria: 

· Task Achievement (i.e. how effectively the candidate has identified, illustrated and reported the key features of the information in the task) 

· Coherence and Cohesion (i.e. how well the information and ideas are organised, and how well the information is linked)  

· Lexical Resource (i.e. the range of vocabulary used, how accurately it is used and how appropriate it is for the task)  

· Grammatical Range and Accuracy (i.e. the range of structures used, how accurately they are used and how appropriate they are for the task) 

Are there any other regulations candidates need to know? 

· Candidates must write their answers on the Answer Sheet provided.  

· If they write less than the minimum word limit they will be penalised.  

· They will be penalised for irrelevance if the response is off-topic.  

· They will be severely penalised if their writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source).  

· They will be penalised if their answer is not written as full, connected text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form etc.) 

样题 

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/ielts/academic_writing/data/AC%20W%20Sample%20Task%201A.pdf  

写作任务2 

题型解读： 

What are candidates required to do? 

In Writing Task 2 candidates are given a topic to write about. Answers should be a discursive consideration of the relevant issues, as required by the rubic. The writing style should be formal and academic. Candidates should make sure that they read and answer the question fully. If the topic is computers they should make sure they understand exactly what aspect of computers they need to discuss. They should not simply write about computers in general. Candidates should write at least 250 words.

Is Task 2 compulsory? 

Yes, it is. Because Task 2 carries more marks, candidates who fail to attempt to answer this task will greatly reduce their chance of reaching a good band.

How long does it take? 

Candidates are asked to spend no more than 40 minutes on this task. 

What style must candidates write in? 

Semi-formal/neutral. Discursive writing is usually written in this style, even when a specific reader is not identified. 

What skills are being tested? 

For this task candidates are assessed on their ability to present an argument clearly giving evidence or examples to support their ideas. They are also assessed on how well their ideas are organised and the accuracy of the language they use. They should make sure that each of their ideas is sufficiently developed and that all of their ideas are relevant to the question. Candidates are expected to write at least 250 words. Short answers will be penalised. Candidates will not be penalised if an answer is longer. However, if they write a very long answer they may not have time for checking and correcting at the end and some ideas may not be directly relevant to the question. They may also produce handwriting which is unclear. Candidates should try to discipline themselves to plan their ideas, select the most relevant ones and organise these so that they are presented as clearly and as accurately as possible within the time allowed. Finally candidates should make sure that they do not copy directly from the Question Paper because if they do, this will not be assessed. Candidates should use their own words when writing their answer.

How are answers assessed? 

Examiners assess the answers according to these criteria:  

· Task Response (i.e. how fully and appropriately the candidate has answered all parts of the task; the extent to which the candidate’s ideas are relevant, developed and supported; the extent to which the candidate’s position is clear and effective) 

· Coherence and Cohesion (i.e. how well the information and ideas are organised and presented, including paragraphing; how well the information is linked) 

· Lexical Resource (i.e. the range of vocabulary used, how accurately it is used and how appropriate it is for the task)  

· Grammatical Range and Accuracy (i.e. the range of structures used, how accurately they are used and how appropriate they are for the task) 

Are there any other regulations the candidate needs to know? 

· They must write their answers on the Answer Sheet provided.  

· If candidates write less than the minimum word limit, they will be penalised.  

· They will be penalised for irrelevance if the response is off-topic.  

· Any writing which is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source) will be severely penalised.  

· They will be penalised if their answer is not written as full connected text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form etc). 

样题 

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/ielts/academic_writing/data/AC%20W%20Sample%20Task%202A.pdf  

写作评分方法: 

The writing scripts are marked by fully qualified IELTS examiners. The examiners are trained and monitored following a rigorous standardisation process. On the day of your test, the writing scripts are distributed randomly to a group of examiners. Each writing task is assessed individually and assigned a separate mark. The final score is then calculated and a final band score is awarded. Academic Writing band scores are reported in whole bands or half bands.

Task 1 scripts are assessed on the following criteria: 

· Task Achievement (i.e. how effectively the candidate has identified, illustrated and reported the key features of the information in the task) 

· Coherence and Cohesion (i.e. how well the information and ideas are organised, presented and linked)  

· Lexical Resource (i.e. the range of vocabulary used, how accurately it is used and how appropriate it is for the task)  

· Grammatical Range and Accuracy (i.e. the range of structures used, how accurately they are used and how appropriate they are for the task) 

Task 2 scripts are assessed on performance on the following areas: 

· Task Response (i.e. how fully and appropriately the candidate has answered all parts of the task; the extent to which the candidate’s ideas are relevant, developed and supported; the extent to which the candidate’s position is clear and effective) 

· Coherence and Cohesion (i.e. how well the information and ideas are organised, presented and linked)  

· Lexical Resource (i.e. the range of vocabulary used, how accurately it is used and how appropriate it is for the task)  

· Grammatical Range and Accuracy (i.e. the range of structures used, how accurately they are used and how appropriate they are for the task) 

Scripts under the required minimum word limit will be penalised. 

The sample scripts can give you and your students a good idea of the level they need to reach. The examiners comments at the bottom.