How do I Score Well on IELTS® Writing?

IELTS® writing is an important part of the International English Language Testing System exam, and students who want to score well on this portion of the test should take care to develop their use of English words and their ability to form correct sentences, as well as some aspects of comprehension. The IELTS® writing section is commonly composed of two writing tasks that will require coherent responses to various questions or prompts. Test givers assess the student’s ability to form good sentences and focused, proficient responses in writing.

Overall, students who want to score well on the writing portion of the test, need to be able to master English grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. They need to be able to use words well, to correctly place pronouns, articles, prepositions, and other parts of speech, and to omit unnecessary or incorrect phrases or wording from their sentences. Some experienced test takers recommend using sentences of moderate length to correctly “pace” the essay, as this might make it sound more natural and appealing to IELTS® scorers.

Those who will get the best results on the IELTS® writing section will address English task prompts correctly. This means reading the prompts thoroughly, and focusing responses on what is being asked. This is where comprehension becomes critical to developing a good essay or completing a writing task.

Other things students can do to get better results on IELTS® writing involve the natural “flow” of the language. One way to develop a better essay is to vary vocabulary significantly. This means avoiding starting each sentence with the same words, or always using the same transitive or connecting words. Using varied vocabulary, and creating neat, natural sounding English sentences is the key to advanced mastery and successful completion of IELTS® writing exam elements.

In addition to all of the technical mastery that is needed for scoring well on IELTS® writing, there are additional elements of the test where a student can benefit from coaching or training. A combination of a good instructor or prep trainer, along with good books and other resources, can make all of the difference in a student’s IELTS® writing score on test day. Part of the value of IELTS® training and preparation is to address all of the psychological aspects of test taking, as well as developing a good response to the inherent challenges of writing tasks before actually sitting down to take the test.