Make sure that your answer clearly and directly answers the question you are asked. There’s no point preparing any answers in advance because if you write about the topic but don’t answer the question you won’t do very well.
Spend some time planning your answers.
You may want to start writing straightaway but it’s important that your answer is logical and well-organised so spending some time planning at the beginning can make a big difference.
Show a variety of language if you can.
It can be very easy to rely on the same language to answer a question but try to express your ideas in different ways. For example, if you were writing an essay about teenagers it would not be good to use the word ‘teenager‘ all the time. Think of different terms you could use e.g. teens, young people, young adults, youth, adolescents. Similarly, if you are introducing an example, don’t just use ‘For example’. Consider using alternatives like ‘For Instance’, ‘This can be shown by,’ or ‘An illustration of this is’.
Make sure you write enough for each task.
Note that if you copy part of the question this is not added to your word count. You have to change the language of the question in your answer. For instance, if the question is ‘Technology is becoming more important in education and can help improve students’ learning. Give examples of this and discuss how you think technology may be used in education in the future” and somewhere in your essay use the exact words “Technology is becoming more important in education and can help improve student’s learning” that sentence will be deleted from your essay.
Spend some time proofreading your answers and looking for small mistakes.
When you finish writing your answer it is tempting to stop and relax. However, when we are writing in an exam, it is easy to make thoughtless mistakes. Pay attention to the kinds of mistake people often make. Check things like articles, verb agreement, word form and prepositions. You should also learn about your own writing. What kind of mistakes do you usually make? If you know what they are, check your answers to make sure you are not making them.
Learn more about the IELTS writing test
Check out our guides to the different types of questions you may get in the IELTS Writing test. You can see how to approach different types of question, get advice and how to deal with different tasks and see what examiners think of different answers.
Practice the IELTS Writing Test
If you want to know how well you might do in the IELTS Writing test, register and take a test. Our examiners will check your essay and give you some feedback to let you know if you are on target to get the IELTS score you need.