There are many effective ways to practice IELTS Writing, but many are a waste of time.
This article will show you where you can find real IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 questions and also share the most effective way to improve your scores through practice.
But first, let me ask a few questions:
If you had a problem with your health, who would you go and see? A doctor.
Who would you go and see if you had a problem with your car? A mechanic
If you needed a haircut, would you cut it yourself? Probably not.
People tend to use experts because they know exactly what they are doing and will save you a lot of time and money. They have trained for years to become experts in their chosen field.
Why, then, do you think IELTS Writing is any different? Why do you think that all you have to do is, do lots of practice tests, and you will suddenly get better? If the plumbing in your house wasn’t working, would you pick up some tools and hope for the best? No, so if you are serious about improving your scores, don’t do the same thing with your IELTS Writing practice.
IELTS Writing Practice: Expert Training
First of all, I am not writing this to sell you my writing correction service. I really don’t care if you buy my services or not. 99.99% of the people who come to this site will never give me a penny, and I am fine with that. However, I would not be telling the truth if I said that practising without the services of an expert is as effective as practising without them.
An expert can tell you exactly what is wrong with your writing and what you need to focus on. Whoever you choose is up to you, but I would encourage you to work with an expert.
This will save you a huge amount of time and ensure that you only work on the things you need to work on. If you had a toothache, you wouldn’t rip out every tooth; you would ask your dentist to identify the specific problem and treat it as gently as possible.
Yes, experts do cost money, but they are much cheaper than having to do your test again.
IELTS Writing Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
Find some real IELTS Writing questions. Do NOT use fake questions. This is essential. If you use fake questions, you will likely get a false impression of what the actual test will be like. Imagine practising for your driving test in a tractor instead of a car!
How can you spot a fake question? Basically, if it doesn’t come from one of the official sources below, it is fake:
- Cambridge English (books and online)
- IELTS Official
- The British Council
- IDP
Hundreds of sites claim to have real questions, but 90% are unreliable. There are more questions than you’ll ever need at the places on the list above.
Step 2
Do a diagnostic test under exam conditions.
This will establish your current level and allow your expert to tell you exactly what your issues are and how to improve.
Step 3
Find an expert. Be very careful here. Just because someone says they are an ‘expert’ or an ‘ex-examiner’ doesn’t mean that they actually are.
Your expert should:
- Be well established. If they are online, they should have lots of social proof, such as a large Facebook following and lots of engagement on their page.
- Be an expert. They should have worked for a reputable school and know everything there is to know about the test. They should have lots of free
material available online that you can look at. If they have neither of these things, that’s a warning sign. - Come highly recommended. A recommendation from someone you know is always best, but if not, they should have lots of positive reviews from past pupils.
- Provide you with enough information. I provide at least 4 pages of feedback to my students. If they charge you for just a few words, it’s a waste of your
time and money. - Be responsive to questions. If you have any questions about their service and/or your feedback, they should get back to you professionally and promptly.
- Give free resources to help you improve your writing.
All of the above would indicate that they are trustworthy and will help you out. Unfortunately, there are a few dodgy ‘experts’ out there, so be careful.
Step 4
Review your feedback.
The expert should have corrected all of your language errors and given you detailed feedback on all areas of your response.
They should have told you exactly why you are getting the score they gave you. They should also be able to tell you exactly what you need to work on.
Take this information and work on turning those weaknesses into strengths.
Step 5
After you work on your weak areas, do another writing test under exam conditions. Your expert will be able to tell you how much you are progressing. The aim here is to narrow your focus on just the problem areas.
Next Steps
After repeating this IELTS Writing practice technique a few times, you can turn all of your weaknesses into strengths. The key is to put in the work that will help you become a better writer.
Check out our writing correction service if you are interested in taking your writing to the next level.