IELTS General Training Writing Practice

In IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 you write a letter of at least 150 words in approximately 20 minutes. The letter may be formal (to an organisation), semi-formal (to a manager or colleague), or informal (to a friend). You are given three bullet points to cover.

In IELTS Writing Task 2 you write a discursive essay of at least 250 words in approximately 40 minutes. The task is identical for both Academic and General Training. It is worth two thirds of your total Writing score.

Task 1 is generally considered more straightforward in General Training because writing a letter is a familiar skill. Task 2 is identical in difficulty for both versions. Band scores are adjusted to ensure fairness across both test types.

After you submit your response our system checks grammar, vocabulary range, sentence structure, word count, and paragraph organisation. You receive highlighted corrections, an estimated band score, and specific improvement tips — all in plain English.

A formal letter is written to someone you do not know personally — such as a company, government office, or organisation. It uses formal language ('Dear Sir or Madam', 'I am writing to enquire'). A semi-formal letter is to someone you know in a professional context, such as a manager or landlord. An informal letter is to a friend or family member and uses conversational language ('Hi Sam', 'Hope you're well'). Using the wrong register (e.g., informal language in a formal letter) significantly lowers your Task Achievement score.

Task 1 requires a minimum of 150 words; writing fewer will lose marks for Task Achievement. Task 2 requires a minimum of 250 words. There is no upper limit, but most high-scoring responses are 160–200 words for Task 1 and 270–320 words for Task 2. Counting words manually wastes time — develop a sense of how much text fills your writing space.

For Express Entry under the Federal Skilled Worker Programme, you need a minimum of CLB 7 per skill. For IELTS General Training Writing, CLB 7 is equivalent to approximately Band 6.0. Achieving Band 7.0 in Writing earns additional CRS points — significantly improving your chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply for permanent residency.

Yes. Bandleep includes formal, semi-formal, and informal letter prompts for IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, as well as a full range of Task 2 essay types. Submit your writing and get an instant band score estimate with grammar corrections, vocabulary suggestions, and structural tips — completely free, no account required.