IELTS Academic Writing – Task 2 	

Task Description
What are candidates required to do?
In Writing Task 2 candidates are given a topic to write about. Answers should be a discursive consideration of the relevant issues, as required by the rubric. The writing style should be formal and academic. Candidates should make sure that they read and answer the question fully. If the topic is computers they should make sure they understand exactly what aspect of computers they need to discuss. They should not simply write about computers in general. Candidates should write at least 250 words.
Is Task 2 compulsory?
Yes, it is. Because Task 2 carries more marks, candidates who fail to attempt to answer this task will greatly reduce their chance of reaching a good band.
How long does it take?
Candidates are asked to spend no more than 40 minutes on this task.
What style must candidates write in?
Semi-formal/neutral. Discursive writing is usually written in this style, even when a specific reader is not identified.
What skills are being tested?
For this task candidates are assessed on their ability to present an argument clearly giving evidence or examples to support their ideas. They are also assessed on how well their ideas are organised and the accuracy of the language they use. They should make sure that each of their ideas is sufficiently developed and that all of their ideas are relevant to the question. Candidates are expected to write at least 250 words. Short answers will be penalised. Candidates will not be penalised if an answer is longer. However, if they write a very long answer they may not have time for checking and correcting at the end and some ideas may not be directly relevant to the question. They may also produce handwriting which is unclear. Candidates should try to discipline themselves to plan their ideas, select the most relevant ones and organise these so that they are presented as clearly and as accurately as possible within the time allowed. Finally candidates should make sure that they do not copy directly from the Question Paper because if they do, this will not be assessed. Candidates should use their own words when writing their answer.
How are answers assessed?
Examiners assess the answers according to these criteria: 
•	Task Response (i.e. how fully and appropriately the candidate has answered all parts of the task; the extent to which the candidate's ideas are relevant, developed and supported; the extent to which the candidate's position is clear and effective) 

•	Coherence and Cohesion (i.e. how well the information and ideas are organised and presented, including paragraphing; how well the information is linked) 
•	Lexical Resource (i.e. the range of vocabulary used, how accurately it is used and how appropriate it is for the task) 
•	Grammatical Range and Accuracy (i.e. the range of structures used, how accurately they are used and how appropriate they are for the task) 

Are there any other regulations the candidate needs to know?
•	They must write their answers on the Answer Sheet provided. 
•	If candidates write less than the minimum word limit, they will be penalised. 
•	They will be penalised for irrelevance if the response is off-topic. 
•	Any writing which is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source) will be severely penalised. They will be penalised if their answer is not written as full connected text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form etc).