IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: what to write, how it is marked, and a worked sample
Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to describe a graph, table, chart or diagram in your own words, in at least 150 words and about 20 minutes. Write an introduction, an overview with no figures, and the key features with data. You do not need a conclusion.
This page covers the Academic version of Task 1. The General Training version is a letter, which is a different task. Every rule about the test comes from IELTS, IDP or the British Council, with the page it comes from. The practice sets are ours and use invented data.
What Academic Writing Task 1 asks you to do
One visual, 20 minutes, 150 words at least.
Task 1 is the first of two tasks in the Academic Writing paper. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press and Assessment, and it describes the task in one sentence.
"In Task 1, you have to describe some visual information in your own words (a graph, table, chart or diagram). You need to write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes."
The whole Writing paper takes 60 minutes, and the owner says both tasks must be completed. The second task is the essay. It counts for more, so the time you give Task 1 matters.
| Question | What IELTS says |
|---|---|
| What do I get? | In Task 1, all the information you require is given in the graph, chart, table or diagram. |
| How long should I spend? | You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task. |
| How many words? | You must write at least 150 words. |
| Does a longer answer help? | While you will not be penalised for writing more than 150 words, you should remember that a longer Task 1 answer may mean that you have less time to spend on Task 2, which contributes twice as much to your Writing band score. |
| What if it is too short? | If your answer is too short, there may not be enough evidence of the language features needed in order to award higher bands. |
| What style? | You should write in an academic or semi-formal/neutral style. |
You may be asked to describe one or more graphs, charts or tables, or a diagram. IELTS also says what you may leave out when it is a diagram.
"a diagram of an object, device, process or event. You have to include the most important points in the diagram. Some minor points or details may be left out."
On the day you type your answer on screen or, if you choose Writing on Paper, write it on an answer sheet. IDP Australia says IELTS on paper is no longer available in Australia, so the whole test is on computer. Either way, IELTS says this about how you must write.
"You must write your answers using full sentences. You must not write your answers as notes or bullet points."
Notes made in the computer's note-taking tool are for you only. IELTS says the examiner will not see them.
The question types you can meet
Graphs, tables, processes and maps, and sometimes two of them together.
IDP Australia has a guide that sets out the kinds of visual you can be given. It names line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, tables, combinations, processes and maps. It adds some detail about each.
| Visual | What IDP says |
|---|---|
| Line graph | Line graph tasks can include 2,3, 4 or possibly up to 6 lines in the whole chart. |
| Pie chart | Pie charts normally have figures displayed in percentages and it is common to see tasks where there are 2 or more of them. |
| Table | The data can be displayed in numerical or percentage form. |
| Combination | Besides these individual forms of displaying data, you may find there could be a combination of graph types together, such as a line graph and a pie chart. |
| Process | Take note that a process task has a starting point and ending point (make sure you mention all steps in the process). Process questions also need to include an overview. |
| Map | In tasks that ask you to compare and contrast maps, they can either be of an indoor space (e.g. a floor plan) or an outdoor space (e.g. buildings, roads, nature, etc.). |
IDP says it is normal for a map task to show two different dates. It lists the pairings, and one of them looks ahead.
- Two dates in the past (e.g. 1966 & 2016)
- A map in the past and a current map (e.g. 2016 and present)
- A map in the past or present compared to something that is projected or planned in the future (e.g., present and 2032)
IDP's other Task 1 articles add two rarer kinds. They say each one only happens once in a while but is still a possibility.
- The task of writing about a development only happens once in a while but is still a possibility.
- The task of writing about a natural process or life cycle only happens once in a while but is still a possibility.
The instruction line is the same whichever visual you get.
"Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant."
Our reading: read the type of visual first, because it decides the voice, and read the time period, because it decides the tense. The section on language below shows how.
The three parts of a Task 1 answer
Introduction, overview, key features with data. No conclusion.
IDP's article on task achievement says an Academic Task 1 answer has three parts.
- Write an introduction.
- Write an overview (a summary of what you see)
- Present and highlight the key features with figures (data)
The owner's guidance on the first part is short. Rewrite the question in your own words, and do not copy it.
"The introduction: Can be one sentence Is the question rewritten into your own words (paraphrased)"
| Avoid this | IDP's Don't column says |
|---|---|
| Copy the prompt | Copy the question prompt word-for-word |
| List the data in order | Present the data mechanically |
| Work out new figures | Use calculations to respond to the task (E.g. calculate averages, add or subtract numbers). Remember to present the data as given. |
The overview
Leaving out the overview costs marks. IDP says so, and it also says what an overview is.
"We also explained that you will lose marks if you omit an overview, or if the overview is unclear for the reader."
It says what the overview should leave out, and where it should go.
- Remember that you are writing an overview, so you do not need to present data (E.g., numbers, statistics).
- Our expert advice to you is to write an overview in your second sentence, just to make sure if you run out of time, that your overview is included in your response.
- If you have more than one visual, your overview needs to summarise both of them. You have to present the whole picture and not just part of it.
Our reading: a good overview answers one question. If you had ten seconds to tell a friend what this chart shows, what would you say? Say that, with no numbers, and start with a signal word. IDP gives these examples.
"Use linking words or phrases to introduce a summary of what you see. (E.g., Overall, To summarise, In summary, In brief, It can be clearly seen that...)."
No conclusion
An essay ends with a conclusion, so it is tempting to add one here too. IDP says you do not need one.
How Task 1 is marked
Four criteria. The first one is about the overview and the data.
IELTS says certificated examiners assess each Writing task on four criteria. In Task 1 the first criterion is called task achievement. IELTS defines all four.
| Criterion | What IELTS says it assesses |
|---|---|
| Task achievement (Task 1) | Task achievement (in Task 1) and Task response (in Task 2) assess how accurately, appropriately and relevantly your response covers the task requirements, using a minimum of 150 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2. |
| Coherence and cohesion | Coherence and cohesion assesses how clear and fluent your writing is, and how you organise ideas and information. |
| Lexical resource | Lexical resource assesses the range of vocabulary you have used, and how accurately and appropriately you use it. |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Grammatical range and accuracy assesses the range of grammar you have used and how accurately and appropriately you have used it. |
IDP breaks task achievement for the Academic test into five things the examiner looks for.
- Selecting key features of the information.
- Providing sufficient detail to illustrate these features.
- Reporting the information, figures and trends accurately.
- Comparing or contrasting the information by adequately highlighting the identifiable trends, principal changes or differences in the data and other inputs (rather than mechanical description reporting detail).
- Presenting the response in an appropriate format.
IDP adds why the task is narrower than it looks.
"It is basically an information-transfer task, which relates narrowly to the factual content of a diagram, graph, table, chart, map or other visual input, not to speculative explanations that lie outside the given data."
What changes between the bands
The rows below are IDP's wording for task achievement in the Academic test. They show what the owner looks for. Our reading: the overview and the key features are where the middle bands separate. The table does not tell you where your own answer would fall.
| Band | Overview (IDP's wording) | Key features and data (IDP's wording) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Presents a clear overview, the data are appropriately categorised, and main trends or differences are identified | Key features which are selected are covered and clearly highlighted |
| 6 | A relevant overview is attempted | Key features which are selected are covered and adequately highlighted |
| 5 | There may be a tendency to focus on details (without referring to the bigger picture) | Key features which are selected are not adequately covered |
At Band 5 IDP also says what happens when the data is missing.
"Band 5 The recounting of detail is mainly mechanical. There may be no data to support the description"
IDP's Writing band scores page sets out every band for all four criteria. We do not guess at your result from a practice answer.
Language that fits each type of visual
Tense, voice, trend words and comparisons.
IDP gives two rules that change with the type of visual. They are quick to apply.
"Make sure to write in the correct tense. Look at the period of time indicated, if there is one, and decide if it's in the past, present, future, or if there is no time period. If the latter example is the case, use the present tense."
"When doing task types such as graphs, charts, and tables, use the active voice. When doing task types such as processes, maps, and developments, use the passive voice. Making this distinction can mean a higher overall band score."
It also says what to do when the task is a process or a map and you do not know the subject well.
"Using the proper language to describe how you think the process works is more important than knowing exactly how the process works."
Below is our own language bank. Use the words you are sure of, and keep the meaning exact. A word that sounds fancy but says the wrong thing costs you.
| Job | Words and phrases you can use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Go up | rise, increase, grow, climb, go up | Sales rose from 40 to 65 units over the decade. |
| Go down | fall, decrease, decline, drop, dip | The figure dipped in 2012 before it recovered. |
| Stay level | remain stable, stay steady, level off, show little change | Rail travel stayed steady at about 10 million trips. |
| Move up and down | fluctuate, vary, go up and down | Prices fluctuated between 3 and 5 dollars. |
| Reach a high or low | peak at, reach a high of, hit a low of, bottom out at | Sales peaked at 900 in July. |
| Say how fast | sharply, rapidly, steadily, gradually, slightly, significantly | Visitor numbers climbed steadily. |
| Compare | higher than, lower than, twice as high as, the highest, the lowest, the same as | Rail was the most popular choice in both years. |
| Show proportion | a quarter, a third, a majority, a small minority, just under half | Just under half of the group chose option B. |
For processes, use the passive and link the steps with sequence words: First, Next, Then, After that, Once this is done, Finally. For maps, say what was added, removed, moved or replaced, and mention what stayed the same. The comparative words in the table above work for maps too, for example closer to, further from, to the north of.
Our practice set: a table to describe
Invented data, six questions, an answer key and a model answer.
Task: The table shows the average number of hours per week that adults in the imaginary town of Rivergate spent on four leisure activities in 1995, 2010 and 2025. Describe the information in at least 150 words.
| Activity (hours per week) | 1995 | 2010 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watching TV or video | 8.0 | 9.0 | 11.5 |
| Reading books | 5.5 | 4.0 | 2.5 |
| Playing sport | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Playing video games | 0.5 | 2.0 | 5.0 |
Six questions to answer before you read the model
- Which sentence works best as the overview? (A) Watching TV or video rose from 8 hours to 11.5 hours. (B) Overall, time on screens grew while reading was the only activity to fall steadily. (C) In conclusion, people should read more books.
- Which activity shows the biggest climb between the first and last years?
- Which tense fits: past, present or future?
- How many body paragraphs would you plan, and what would each one cover?
- True or false: you should explain why people now watch more video.
- A student writes: In 1995 sport was 3, in 2010 it was 3.5, in 2025 it was 4. What is the problem, and how would you fix it?
Answer key
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | It states the main pattern with no figures. A is one detail. C is an opinion, and the data does not support it. |
| 2 | Playing video games | It goes from 0.5 to 5.0, the steepest climb on the table. TV or video grows too, but from a much higher start. |
| 3 | Past | All three years are in the past, so the verbs are in the past tense. |
| 4 | Two | One for the activities that rose a lot (TV or video, video games) and one for reading, which fell, and sport, which changed least. |
| 5 | False | The table gives no reasons. Describe what the figures show and leave out causes. |
| 6 | A list of numbers, with no comparison | Group the years into one sentence, say it rose slightly, and compare it with another activity. |
A model answer
The table compares how many hours a week adults in the imaginary town of Rivergate spent on four leisure activities in 1995, 2010 and 2025.
Overall, time spent on screen-based activities grew, while reading was the only activity to fall steadily. Watching TV or video was the most popular activity throughout, and video games showed the sharpest rise.
Watching TV or video began at 8 hours a week in 1995, edged up to 9 hours in 2010 and reached 11.5 hours in 2025. Video games started from a very low base of half an hour, then climbed to 2 hours and finally to 5 hours, so that by 2025 they were more popular than both sport and reading.
By contrast, reading fell from 5.5 hours to 4 hours and then to 2.5 hours. Playing sport was the most stable activity, rising only slightly from 3 hours in 1995 to 3.5 hours in 2010 and 4 hours in 2025.
What this answer does
- The first sentence rewrites the task in new words and keeps the key details: the town, the activities and the three years.
- The overview comes second and has no figures. It names the main pattern and the sharpest change.
- Each body paragraph groups items so the reader sees a comparison and not a list: the first covers the two that rose, the second contrasts the one that fell with the one that changed least.
- Every key feature has a figure from the table, and the figures are given as they appear.
- It uses the past tense and the active voice, and it has no conclusion.
A second example: describing a process
Same three parts, but passive voice and sequence words.
Task: The diagram shows how a school turns canteen food scraps into garden compost. There are seven stages: scraps are collected in bins in the canteen; they are tipped into a shredder; the shredded scraps are mixed with dry leaves in a large wooden bin; the pile is turned with a fork once a week; it is left to rest under a cover for eight weeks; it is sieved through a metal mesh; and the finished compost is spread on the school garden. Write at least 150 words.
Model answer: The diagram illustrates how a school makes compost from food left over in its canteen, and it shows seven stages from start to finish.
Overall, the process begins with the collection of scraps in bins and ends with the finished compost being spread on the school garden. Most stages involve handling the material, such as tipping, shredding, mixing, turning and sieving, and the only stage with a stated length is the rest period, which lasts eight weeks.
First, food scraps are collected in bins in the canteen and then tipped into a shredder. Next, the shredded material is mixed with dry leaves in a large wooden bin. The pile is turned with a fork once a week, and it is then left to rest under a cover for eight weeks. After that, the compost is sieved through a metal mesh. Finally, the finished compost is spread on the school garden, which is where the process ends.
- The overview says how many stages there are and where the process starts and ends.
- Passive verbs (are collected, is turned, is sieved) keep the focus on the materials, not on who does the work.
- Sequence words (First, Next, After that, Finally) show the order without numbering the stages.
- Every stage in the diagram is mentioned, because a process has a start and an end that must both be covered.
- It gives no reasons. The task does not say why a stage happens, so the answer does not either. It is also more than 150 words, as the task asks.
Five mistakes we would fix first
Each one is something a self-marker can spot.
- No overview, or an overview full of figures. Write one clear sentence of summary with no numbers, and put it second.
- Copying the question. Change the wording but keep the facts: what, where and when.
- Listing every number in order. Group items that behave alike and compare them.
- Inventing reasons. The visual shows what happened, not why. Leave causes out.
- Spending 30 minutes on Task 1. It leaves too little for the essay. Practise stopping at 20.
Where to practise with the owners' own materials
Free sets, with model answers.
IELTS lists free practice papers on its own site, and both IDP and the British Council host Academic Writing practice.
| Where | What it says |
|---|---|
| IELTS.org | Free practice papers and resources to help you succeed |
| IDP IELTS | You will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. |
| British Council IELTS | Academic Writing sample tasks (PDF, 1.43mb) |
| British Council IELTS | Responses to Sample Part 2 (the Task 2 essay) with band scores and examiner comments (PDF, 0.47mb) |
IDP's practice page says to describe, summarise or explain the information. Our reading: that means saying what the data shows, because IDP's own task achievement article says the task is about the facts in the visual, not speculative explanations outside the data.
The British Council page also says what to do with its model answers.
"compare your responses with model answers and identify areas to develop."
Our reading: a practice answer is only useful if you check it against the criteria above. Mark your own answer with the five task achievement points, then leave it a day and mark it again. For other parts of the test, go to our IELTS preparation tips and resources page. For Task 2 essays, see our IELTS essay samples. If you are taking General Training, Task 1 is a letter, and our IELTS letter and essay samples cover it. This page is general test preparation. It is not immigration advice, and the owner's pages decide what the test is.
Common questions
It is the first of two tasks in the Academic Writing paper. IELTS says you have to describe some visual information in your own words (a graph, table, chart or diagram), and you need to write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.
Yes. The test owners publish sample tasks, and the British Council lists Academic Writing sample tasks (PDF, 1.43mb). Our page also has an original practice set with a model answer. It is invented data, written by us, and it makes no claim about the level it would reach.
No. IDP says: And remember, Academic Task 1 does NOT need a conclusion. It does need an overview, which is a short summary of the main features near the start.
IELTS says you should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task, and you must write at least 150 words. Task 2 contributes twice as much to the Writing score, so protect its time.
A summary of the main trends, differences or stages, with no figures. IDP says you do not need to present data (E.g., numbers, statistics) in it, and that you should write it in your second sentence in case you run out of time.
No. IELTS says you must write your answers using full sentences and must not write them as notes or bullet points.
IDP names line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, tables, combinations of these, processes and maps. A process task has a starting point and ending point, and IDP says it is normal for a map task to show two different dates.
IELTS describes one Academic Task 1, with the same word and time guidance, on its Writing format page. What changes is how you answer. IDP Australia says IELTS on paper is no longer available in Australia, so you sit on computer and type your answer on the screen, or, if you choose Writing on Paper, you write on the answer sheet with the pen provided. IELTS also says you can take notes with the note-taking tool, but the examiner will not see them.