IELTS Writing practice with a band score in seconds

Write a Task 1 report or a Task 2 essay and see an estimated band for Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, with the one change that would raise it most.

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Your first scored task is free. No credit card.

Example feedback · IELTS Academic, Task 2Band 6.5
  • Task Achievement6.5
  • Coherence and Cohesion7
  • Lexical Resource6
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy6.5

Quickest win

Your second body paragraph gives an example but never explains how it supports your view. One sentence linking it back to your position would lift Task Achievement.

What you can practise

Each task has a free guide with the structure, paraphrasing tips, useful phrases and sample questions.

IELTS Academic, Task 1

Describe a chart, graph, table or pie chart in your own words.

20 minutes 150–250 words

Scored on

  • Task Achievement
  • Coherence and Cohesion
  • Lexical Resource
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Read the guide Practise

IELTS Academic, Task 2

Write an argumentative essay responding to a point of view or problem.

40 minutes 250–400 words

Scored on

  • Task Achievement
  • Coherence and Cohesion
  • Lexical Resource
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Read the guide Practise

How practice works

  1. 1

    Write against the clock

    The real time limit and word range, with a live word count, so exam day feels familiar.

  2. 2

    Get a score for each criterion

    A score for every IELTS criterion with the reason behind it, and your mistakes marked in your text.

  3. 3

    Fix the quickest win

    Nib names the one change that would raise your score most. Your scores are saved so you can see them climb.

Full mock exams · Pro Plus

  • IELTS Academic Writing: Full Mock · 2 tasks, 60 minutes

    The complete 60-minute writing paper: Task 1 report, then Task 2 essay. Task 2 counts double, as in the real exam.

IELTS writing questions

Is this for IELTS Academic or General Training?

The tasks follow IELTS Academic: Task 1 describes a chart, graph, table or diagram, and Task 2 is an essay. The Task 2 practice and feedback are just as useful for General Training, where Task 2 is the same kind of essay.

How is my band worked out?

Your writing is scored against the four public IELTS writing criteria, each on the 1 to 9 band scale, with a short reason for each score. It is an estimate for practice, not an official IELTS result.

Is PenLingo official IELTS material?

No. PenLingo is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. The tasks follow the public format and scoring criteria of the exam.

How many tasks can I practise for free?

The writing guides and sample questions are free for everyone. With a free account you get one scored exam task. Basic Pro includes one scored task a week and Pro Plus is unlimited, including full timed mock exams.

Can I practise under exam conditions?

Yes. Every task has a timer with the real time limit and a word counter, and Pro Plus adds full mock exams that run the whole writing paper and submit automatically when time is up.

IELTS is a trademark of the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. PenLingo is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Scores are practice estimates, not official results.