Writing Task Time Allocation for Band 7+
IELTS Academic Writing allows 60 minutes for both tasks. Task 2 carries twice the weighting of Task 1 (Task 1: approximately 33% of Writing score; Task 2: approximately 67%). The recommended allocation: 18–20 minutes for Task 1 (approximately 170–190 words target) and 38–40 minutes for Task 2 (approximately 280–320 words target for Band 7+). Many candidates allocate equal time to both tasks and underinvest in Task 2 — this is the single most common Writing time management error. Task 1 planning (2 minutes): identify visual type, note the 2 overview trends, decide on body paragraph organization. Task 1 writing (14 minutes): write introduction, overview, two body paragraphs. Task 1 review (2 minutes): check for subject-verb agreement errors, passive voice consistency, and vocabulary precision. Task 2 planning (4 minutes): determine essay type, plan thesis and three body paragraph claims with evidence. Task 2 writing (30 minutes): write introduction (100 words), two or three body paragraphs (60–80 words each), conclusion (40–50 words). Task 2 review (4–6 minutes): check Coherence and Cohesion transitions, grammar accuracy, and collocation errors.