Inside secret! Read this and found out how the IELTS writing exam is marked!

(Are you an IELTS examiner?  Is there anything in the following article that is inaccurate?  Please let me know at: ryanthiggins@gmail.com.)

People are often confused by the methodology used to calculate the IELTS writing mark.  As you know, your IELTS writing band is made up of your performance on two separate writing assignments, more commonly known as Task 1 and Task 2.  But what you may not know is how these assignments are weighted against each other to formulate your overall writing band.  Knowing the answer to this question gives the IELTS student a major advantage in the exam.

As was recently explained to me by former IELTS examiner Chris Green (of http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/), examiners first assign a band to each of a student’s tasks.  Then the examiner uses a chart to calibrate precisely what the student’s overall writing band is.  According to this chart, the Task 1 to Task 2 weighting ratio is about 1:2 (in other words, Task 1 contributes 33% and Task 2 66%).

Below you can see a copy of the chart (reproduced with permission from Chris Green at http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/).  Please note that Chris was an examiner several years ago and has recreated this chart from memory.  Thus, it may not accurately reflect the numbers currently used by today’s active IELTS examiners (click the image to enlarge):

Knowing that Task 1 and Task 2 are weighted 1:2, some interesting observations can be made.  For example, if you perform at a band 8 in your Task 1 response, but only receive band 5 for your Task 2, your writing will be labeled an overall band of 6.  However, if these marks are reversed (that is to say your Task 1 is band 5 and your Task 2 is band 8), you will be honoured an overall band of 7.  In fact, even if your Task 1 mark were to fall to a band 4, you would still be awarded an overall band of 7.

Let me summarize the above in a few quick equations:

Task 1 Band 8 + Task 2 Band 5 = Overall Writing Band 6

Task 1 Band 5 + Task 2 Band 8 = Overall Writing Band 7

Task 1 Band 4 + Task 2 Band 8 = Overall Writing Band 7

So what conclusions can we draw from this?

The above equations illustrate three things.

The first is that the 1:2 weighting ratio can shift slightly depending on the combination of marks you receive.

The second is that perhaps the best strategy a student can take is to engage Task 2 first, then proceed to Task 1.  In doing this, the student prioritizes the Task 2 response, which heightens their chances of performing well in this area.  This would in turn heighten their chances of receiving a higher overall writing band.

The third is just how important it is that you perform well on the Task 2 portion of the exam.  I can tell you from my experience correcting Task 1 and 2 writing samples that students underestimate their abilities to engage Task 1 and overestimate their abilities to engage Task 2 (this is particularly true for students engaging the Academic exam).  I believe this is why many students are surprised by how low their writing mark is.

If you are one of these people, my guess is that your Task 2 is weak and the additional weight this Task contributes to your overall mark is causing the depression you see in your writing band.  As the above examples show, a strong Task 2 can overshadow a weak Task 1.  It is thus imperative that you have your writing checked at least once by a native English speaker before you engage the IELTS.

So I hope the above both clears up any confusion you had regarding how this section is marked and helps you strategize a personal plan for your writing.

Be sure to check out the other resources at Chris’s website, too.  There are lots of speaking resources and an interesting section that makes an educated guess for upcoming exam topics: http://ielts-yasi.englishlab.net/

Academic Task 2 writing model in response to a question faced in Sydney in April 2012

(This question taken from IELTS-Blog.com.)

Some people consider thinking about and planning for the future to be a waste of time.  They argue that people should simply live in the moment.  Do you agree or disagree?  Use at least one personal example in your response.

The merits behind attempts people make to guess, alter or control the future are often contested.  Many counter that people should make efforts to live in the moment.  However, I feel that people ought to think regularly about the future and adhere to a plan for their life and career.  To illustrate this, the heightened probability of goal achievement and the benefit derision that occurs when one is prepared for the unknown will be analyzed in this essay.

For one, people are much more likely to achieve their professional targets if they make plans.  Education’s connection to the working world plays as a good example here.  If a person plans to become a doctor, they must put into place a comprehensive plan for their education.  Were they to just ‘live in the moment’, their vocational hopes would fall by the wayside and never be realized.  As this example shows, thinking about the future is necessary practice that all people with goals should engage in.

In addition to this, regular meditation on the future can help a person position themselves to benefit from upcoming changes to their lifestyle.  For instance, before I came to China, I took the time to study the Chinese language.  Because I had the foresight to do this, my transition to life in China was much smoother.  Thus, as my personal experience makes clear, preparing oneself for the future can help a person reap additional benefits that a ‘live in the moment’ mentality cannot.

Following this look, it is felt people who commit time to thinking about the future stand to gain in ways other people do not.  Thus, it is hoped everyone the world over commits themselves to this lifestyle practice.

 

Here is an entire breakdown of the IELTS General exam as seen in Brisbane on 12 May 2012 (including model writing Task 1 and 2 responses)!

A few very kind exam takers took the time to email me the writing questions they faced on their recent exam in Brisbane, Australia.  One very kind student in particular shared the other sections of the exam, too.  I’ve included all of the information they’ve shared plus two model writing responses to the writing tasks.

Have you taken the IELTS recently?  Please don’t forget to email me and let me know what topics you see on the exam so that I can post them and add my suggestions.  Often questions are repeated, so by sharing your experience you could be giving other students a head start in their preparation for the test!

Listening:

1. Listening one was about an airline company.  A customer was unhappy about the ticket’s price and was looking for details on how to file a compliant.

2. Listening two required the student label a map of several different buildings.

3. Listening three related to the importance of listening skills.

4. Listening four concerned the history of the bicycle.

Reading:

1. Reading one detailed several different tourist hot spots.  The question required test takers label paragraphs.

2. Reading two was about leave entitlements for employees who work in organizations or factories. The question type was short answer not more than 3 words.

3. Don’t remember.

4. Reading four was about the history and evolution of some Japanese sushi company.  There were three questions types: T/F/NG, fill in the blanks and multiple choice.

Writing:

Task 1

Write a letter to your friend and thank him/her for the advice he/she gave you in preparation for a press conference you held. In this letter write:

-what happened during the conference

-how his/her advice helped

-what you would like to do as a gesture of thanks

Dear Jeffrey,

I wanted to write and thank you again for the helpful advice you gave me regarding my press conference yesterday.

As I told you last week, I had never held a press gathering before.  To say I was a little anxious sitting in front of so many reporters and TV cameras would be an understatement.  However, your advice to address the reporters I have rapport with first really helped to put my mind at ease.  As a result, I was able to engage the public much more confidently and believe this helped enhance my presence immensely.  The conference has just aired on TV and I am extremely pleased with my performance.

As I couldn’t have achieved this success without you, I would love to take you out sometime as a token of my gratitude.  Would lunch this Thursday be possible for you?  I know a great French restaurant in your part of town.

Yours truly,

Ryan

Task 2

Nowdays, pollution and waste levels are increasing rapidly.  How does this effect ordinary people? What steps can be taken to overcome this problem?

Pollution levels around the world have been increasing at exponential rates。  It is argued that this trend affects the physical health of ordinary people and the future of the natural resources these people need to survive.  To combat these issues, the solutions of government intervention and conscientious product buying will be analyzed for viability in this essay.

Firstly, to address the physical health problems people experience as a result of high pollution levels, it is argued that governments should work towards educating people about the role they play in the well-being of the natural world.  For example, the Emirates used to have the highest rate of garbage production per capita on the globe.  But after initiating a compulsory education program in all high schools across the country, this rubbish to person ratio was reduced significantly.  Thus, it can be concluded from this example that education plays a very clear role in the fight against worldwide pollution.

Further, to encourage the preservation of natural resources, people should take it upon themselves to avoid buying products known to be environmentally harmful.  For instance, in the United States it has become trendy for people to buy hybrid cars as opposed to petrol guzzling vehicles, such as Cadillac Escalades.  The conscious purchasing decisions these people are making are clearly having results, as the American contribution to global warming is not swelling at nearly the rate it once was.  Thus, promoting smart consumer choices is obviously an excellent strategy for combating issues related to pollution.

Following this look at the causes and potential solutions to the challenges associated with global contamination, it is felt that with a united effort humanity will be able to overcome this hurdle.  It is thus hoped the solutions suggested in this essay are adopted the world over.

IELTS reading secrets! Here are a list of test strategies shared by an IELTS guru!

Patrick and I met with a very small group of you last night on IELTS Chat.  I think everyone will agree that the wisdom Patrick shared with us regarding the reading exam was extremely valuable.  (For a full transcript of the conversation, click here.)  Be sure to visit Patrick’s website at IELTS Test Online.

Here are some of the points I took away from the evening:

• -When engaging the reading exam, you don’t have enough time to read all passages in detail.  It is vital that a student learns how to skim and scan.  Skimming involves reading to find out the general gist of a passage.  Scanning involves reading to find a specific bit of information.
• -Patrick outlined two strategies for engaging the reading portion of the exam: (1) read the questions in detail, note keywords, then scan the passage for the answers to those questions (2) skim the passage, note the topics, then read the questions in detail and answer them.  Patrick said there is no ‘right’ way to engage the questions, the key is for students to experiment as they are studying and find out which strategy works best for them.
• -Patrick’s advice for vocabulary building is for students to make the new words they learn relevant for them.  Instead of creating long, boring lists of vocabulary words, students should be writing the words they learn down in the context they see them.  So if ‘triumph’ is a new word and you see the word in a passage about your favourite football team, you should be noting the word down in a sentence that reminds you of the passage you read.  Doing this will help jolt your memory when you come back to review the new words you’ve learned.
• -If you come across an unknown word on the exam, Patrick suggests following these 6 steps: (1) checking the context of the word, (2) contrast the word with another word or sentence in the paragraph, (3) looking for explanation of the word’s meaning in the sentence or paragraph itself, (4) breaking the word apart into its more basic form (if it has one), (5) logic and finally (6) simply guessing what the word means.
• -T/F/NG questions always appear in the order of the text.  So if you’ve found the answer for the first T/F/NG question in the third paragraph of the text, you know that the second T/F/NG question’s answer will not be in the first or second paragraph.  This can save you valuable time on the exam!  The same phenomenon is true for sentence completion questions.
• -T/F/NG questions can be tricky, particularly knowing when to mark a question ‘N’ and when to mark it ‘NG’.  The key is that you need to have definitive evidence that a piece of data is a ‘No’.  If you cannot find this evidence, the answer is ‘Not Given’.  If you are not sure about a question, leave it blank until the end of your exam.  Use the last few minutes to answer this question.  If you are still unsure, chances are the answer is NG.
• -Matching type questions must be read very closely.  If you’ve skimmed the passage already, certain questions should be clear to you right away.  Do these questions first.
• -If you face the headings question type, it is important to remember that the heading represents the entire paragraph, not just a section of it.  So you need to be sure that you have an understanding of what the entire paragraph is saying.  Do the easier headings first, then attempt the harder ones.
• -If you are having trouble with time, remember to allot yourself no more than 1.5 minutes per question.  If you cannot find the answer within 1.5 minutes, skip this question and move on.  You can come back after you complete the easier questions and try to find the answer.
• -Another great time saving tip: when you start the exam, first look at the question types.  Choose the question type that you find the easiest and read its corresponding passage first.  You do not need to complete the passages in the order you see them.
• -Patrick recommends training yourself to read at at least 200 words per minute.