Task 2 is worth twice Task 1, and the most common way to lose marks on it has nothing to do with English. It is answering a nearby question rather than the one on the paper — which is penalised directly under Task Response, and caps the essay however well it is written.
Nearly every prompt is one of five types. Reading the last line carefully and naming the type is the highest-value thirty seconds you will spend in the exam.
Three requirements hiding in one sentence, and the third is the one candidates leave out.
Usually under-answered byDiscussing both views and never saying which you hold.
The words 'to what extent' are asking for a degree, not a side — and answering with a side is what caps most of these essays.
Usually under-answered byTreating it as agree or disagree and never naming a degree.
The word 'outweigh' is a verdict. Listing both sides and stopping answers a question that was not asked.
Usually under-answered byProducing two lists and leaving the reader to weigh them.
Two halves, and the marks are lost when the second half does not answer the first.
Usually under-answered bySolutions that do not correspond to the causes given.
Two separate questions, equally weighted, and answering one of them well is worth less than answering both adequately.
Usually under-answered byTreating the second question as a conclusion to the first.
Name the type, decide your position, and write one phrase per paragraph. Essays that skip this stage tend to lose their structure in the second half, which is scored under Coherence and Cohesion.
One idea per paragraph, each with a reason and an example. Do not stop to perfect sentences; the plan is doing the structural work and rereading mid-essay is how people run out of time.
Word count first, then articles, plurals and verb agreement — the three highest-frequency error types. These five minutes are worth more marks than another paragraph would be.
Five in practice: discuss both views, to what extent do you agree, advantages and disadvantages, causes and solutions, and two-part questions. Nearly every prompt is one of these, and each has a distinct requirement that candidates routinely leave out.
Around five minutes of the 40. Identify the type, decide your position, and note one idea per paragraph. Essays written without a plan tend to lose Coherence and Cohesion marks in the second half, where the structure drifts.
Four or five: introduction, two or three bodies, conclusion. One idea per body paragraph, developed with a reason and an example. More paragraphs than that in 250 words usually means each is too thin to score.
Yes, but they can be hypothetical or general — you are not marked on factual accuracy. 'A student who works part-time may find…' is a legitimate example. Invented statistics are unnecessary and tend to read as invented.
250 is a minimum and going under is penalised. Around 270 to 310 is comfortable. Writing far over increases errors, which are scored under Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and does not earn marks for length.
Our IELTS mock marks Task 2 against all four criteria and shows which sentences moved each one. The first session is free.
This guide is written from the IELTS test format published by British Council, IDP and Cambridge, in our own words. For the official wording, see the official IELTS sample questions. MockLive AI is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with the British Council, IDP or Cambridge Assessment English.