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IELTS exam-window writing and reading guides
Time split, Academic vs General Training, Task 2 types, True/False/Not Given, matching headings, computer word count, and 2-week or 4-week practice. One free scored test, then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How should I split 60 minutes between IELTS Task 1 and Task 2?
The Writing paper is about 60 minutes. A common split is 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2, because Task 2 is worth twice Task 1. Task 1 needs at least 150 words; Task 2 needs at least 250. If you spend 30 minutes on a graph or a letter, the essay is the piece that usually collapses — short last paragraph, missed instruction word, no check. Some people write Task 2 first so the heavier task is done while they are fresh; that is allowed, as long as you still leave about 20 minutes for Task 1. We do not promise a band from the split. Practice IELTS is Writing and Reading only. It is not official IELTS and it does not book your test.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
What is the difference between Academic and General Training IELTS writing?
Academic and General Training use the same 60-minute Writing paper and the same four criteria. The big change is Task 1. Academic Task 1 is a visual: a graph, chart, table, diagram, map, or process, in at least 150 words. General Training Task 1 is a letter — formal, semi-formal, or informal — also at least 150 words. Task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words in both modules. Topics can feel more everyday on General Training, but the job is still to answer the instruction word. Book the module your file needs; we cannot choose it for you and we do not run the test. Practice IELTS is a Writing and Reading practice tool. It is not official IELTS, not IDP or British Council, and it does not cover Listening or Speaking.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How do I answer a two-part IELTS Task 2 question?
A two-part Task 2 gives you two questions in one prompt. Both must be answered, in roughly equal space. Name the type before you write. A practical shape is: two-sentence introduction that restates both jobs; body one answers question one with one developed idea; body two answers question two the same way; two-sentence conclusion that returns to both. If you write a long opinion on the first question and a single line on the second, Task Response is usually the criterion that drops. Do not merge the two jobs into one mixed paragraph, and do not treat this as a discuss both views essay unless the prompt actually says that. Templates fail here when they hide the second question. We do not promise a band. Practice IELTS marks the four writing criteria as a practice estimate, not an official score.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How do I write advantages/disadvantages vs problem-solution vs to what extent?
These are different jobs. Advantages and disadvantages: give both sides, one job per body. If the prompt asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, say that weight in the introduction — do not hide it in sentence 250. Problem-solution (or causes and solutions): one body is the problem or cause; the other is the solution. Do not put three problems and one half-line fix in the same paragraph. To what extent do you agree is still an opinion task: say how far — fully, partly, or not at all — in the introduction, then stay there. It is not a discussion essay unless the prompt also asks you to discuss both views. Name the type, then write. A memorised template that ignores the instruction word misses Task Response. No band is guaranteed.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How do I decide True, False, or Not Given in IELTS Reading?
True, False, and Not Given are about the passage, not your knowledge of the topic. True means the statement agrees with the text. False means the text says the opposite — a contradiction, not a missing fact. Not Given means the passage does not give enough to call it true or false; a related sentence is not enough. Yes / No / Not Given is the same three-way choice for the writer's views, not for facts. A common error is changing True to Not Given because the wording is not identical, or calling a missing number False. Do not reread the whole passage for every item. Find the sentence that could decide it, then stop. Practice IELTS includes Writing and Reading only. A Reading score here is a practice mark, not an official band.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How do I do IELTS Reading matching headings?
Matching headings asks you to pick the main idea of a paragraph, not a detail inside it. The list is longer than the number of paragraphs, so unused headings are a trap, not a leftover you must force in. Read the heading list once. Then read one paragraph and ask what the whole paragraph is doing — a cause, a change, a problem, a result — before you look back at the list. Detail headings often copy a noun from one sentence; the right heading usually names the job of the paragraph. If two headings both seem possible, keep the one that covers the start and the end, not only the example. Do not reread every paragraph three times; the paper is 60 minutes. Practice IELTS is Writing and Reading only. Scores are practice estimates, not official bands.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How should I use the on-screen word count when I type IELTS Task 2?
On a computer-delivered Writing test you type Task 2 and a word count is visible on screen. The minimum is still 250 words; 260–290 is a practical range so you are not counting by hand. Use the count as a finish check, not as a scoreboard in minute five. If you watch it while you write sentence one, you stall and the last paragraph dies. Plan 5, write 30, check 5. Cut, copy, and paste can fix order, but they do not help if you never reach the conclusion. Practise a full typed essay in 40 minutes so backspace does not eat the clock. Practice IELTS is a computer Writing and Reading tool. It is not the official familiarisation test, not a booking page, and not Listening or Speaking.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How should I practise Writing and Reading if my IELTS exam is in 2 weeks?
Two weeks is an exam window, not a promise of a band jump. Use the days you have. A realistic loop is one timed Task 2 most days — plan 5, write 30, check 5 — then mark the four writing criteria and fix only the weakest one the next day. Add two or three timed Reading sessions in the same fortnight, including True/False/Not Given and matching headings if those types appear on your module. Do not collect unmarked PDFs, and do not spend the fortnight on Listening or Speaking on this product — we do not offer them. We cannot book your test or guarantee a score. Practice IELTS is Writing and Reading only. One free scored test shows a practice mark, not an official band.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How should I use a 4-week exam window for Task 2 and Reading?
Four weeks is still an exam window, not a band guarantee. A simple split: most weekdays, one timed Task 2 (40 minutes) marked on Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Fix only the lowest criterion the next day. Two or three times a week, sit a timed Reading paper or a short type drill — True/False/Not Given or matching headings — so Reading is not left to week four. Keep Task 1 in the mix once or twice a week (about 20 minutes, 150 words) so the 60-minute paper is not a surprise, but let Task 2 take most of the writing time because it is worth twice Task 1. Practice IELTS covers Writing and Reading only. No Listening, no Speaking, no promised jump.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.
How do I practise IELTS writing in Cebu, Davao, Lahore, Karachi, Dhaka, Bengaluru, or Hyderabad?
If you have a date in Cebu, Davao, Lahore, Karachi, Dhaka, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, or another city, the Writing paper is still Task 1 plus Task 2, marked on the four criteria. City pages here are exam-window practice, not booking pages. We cannot reserve a seat, list a centre address, or promise a visa or a band. Treat Task 2 as the daily timed loop — about 40 minutes, at least 250 words — and add Reading in the same window. If you will sit computer-delivered, type the essay so the on-screen word count is familiar. Review centers and official centres stay with the organisations that run the test. Practice IELTS is an independent Writing and Reading tool, not official IELTS, and not a partner of IDP or the British Council.
Take 1 free scored test (Writing or Reading) at practice-ielts.com. Then $14.99 for 3 months of Writing + Reading. Not official IELTS.