Writing question types
Pick one question type and practise just that — no full test required.
Task 2 — Essay
Pick an essay type, then a question. Write 250+ words in 40 minutes, marked on all four criteria.
Opinion — Agree or Disagree
One position, defended twice, never abandoned.
14 questions
Discussion — Both Views + Your Opinion
Two views reported fairly, one opinion stated unmistakably.
13 questions
Advantages & Disadvantages
Read the instruction first: balance, or verdict?
11 questions
Problem & Solution
Every solution must answer a problem you actually raised.
12 questions
Two-Part (Direct) Questions
Two questions asked. Two answers, equally weighted.
9 questions
Positive or Negative Development
A trend is described. Your job is to judge it — and stay judged.
9 questions
Academic Task 1 — Report
Every question comes with its real chart, and your report is checked against that data. 150+ words in 20 minutes.
Line Graph — Change Over Time
Group the lines, name the trend, and keep the tense the data is in.
9 questions
Bar Chart — Comparing Categories
Decide first whether it is a trend or a comparison. Everything follows from that.
8 questions
Pie Chart — Proportions of a Whole
Every slice is a share of something. Say what of, and never confuse a share with an amount.
8 questions
Table — Selecting From Dense Data
Thirty numbers, six of them worth writing. The skill is choosing which six.
7 questions
Process Diagram — How Something Is Made or Happens
No numbers to report. The band is decided by the passive and by how you join the stages.
7 questions
Map — How a Place Changed
Report the change, not the two pictures. Passive voice, compass directions, no numbers.
7 questions
Mixed Charts — Two Visuals, One Report
Not two reports. One report that uses both, with an overview covering each.
9 questions
General Training Task 1 — Letter
One type per register — who you are writing to decides the tone. 150+ words in 20 minutes.
Formal Letter — To a Stranger or an Organisation
Dear Sir or Madam. No contractions, no phrasal verbs, and every bullet developed.
10 questions
Semi-formal Letter — To Someone You Know By Name
Dear Mr Patel. Courteous and businesslike — neither a stranger nor a friend.
9 questions
Informal Letter — To a Friend or Family Member
Contractions, phrasal verbs and questions to the reader. Formality here is the mistake.
9 questions