To start with, let us take a look at the outline of what the IELTS writing exam really is. The IELTS writing test is conducted to test your writing skills in English, that is to say the ability of the candidate to understand, organize and answer the questions without any grammar mistakes and within the given period of time.

The first thing that we might want to make sure is that the IELTS Academic writing test is completely different from the IELTS General writing test.

The IELTS Academic writing test:

The IELTS Academic test has two tasks, the task one would be a short report that you have to develop based on the descriptions given in the question this will be a pie chart, a line graph, a table, a bar chart, or an image. The task two is an essay question you are required to respond to a question that can either be an argument or a problem that is being discussed in the question. The essay should always be in a formal one. Taking into account the word count the total number of words for task one it is 150 words and for task two it is 250 words. The time limit for the writing test is 60 minutes.

The IELTS General writing test:

The IELTS General test also has two tasks task one is letter writing in which you have to write a letter that can be personal, formal or semi- formal. Task two is essay writing in which you have to write an essay on a general topic. The word count for the letter is 150 words and the word count for the essay is 250 words.

The time limit for the writing test in general is same as that of the academic test. However you might split up the time like 20 minutes for the letter writing and 40 minutes for the essay, this is not mandatory although you don’t want to waste more time on the letter writing as it carries less marks when compared to that of an essay.

Let’s take a look at the below tips that will help you to get a good score in the IELTS writing test.

• Understanding the question: You need to make sure that you understand the question well and plan a synopsis for the writing test before you can start writing. Make sure you keep a structure for the essay as well as the letter in your mind so as to avoid any mistakes in future.
• Accurate answers: Make sure your answers are accurate without any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
• Manage your time: This is the most significant thing when it comes to the IELTS writing test. You must well manage your time and make sure that you are able to present all the things planned in the synopsis in the answer sheet within the given 60 minutes.
• New Vocabularies: You must get to know new vocabularies. To do this you need to read a lot of books, magazines and news papers. Make sure to know the exact meanings of the words and to use them in the right place while using those words in the exam.
• Practice: Make sure you practice well not only in IELTS writing it is possible to get a good score in all the IELTS test if you practice constantly. Only if you practice the test and get to know your flaws you’ll be able to avoid those mistakes while taking the exam.
• Cross check your answers: All make sure you allot some time to double check your answers.
• Take Notes: Make sure you take notes of any important points that you need to mention in your answers so as to avoid missing out any points given in the question.