IELTS Reading Test Information, Tips & Tricks
There is a very common query that I face quite often and today I am going to answer and describe it as much as I can. It is “I used uncommon vocabulary, my grammar was correct, answered all questions, still I didn’t get a seven. Why?” “I know the criteria, I learned it by heart, but what should I do with it?”
Answer to this question is simple. After you finish writing your task, check it the same way examiner will do. How to do that? Lets see.
The following categories are used to assess candidates in both the Academic and General Training writing tests. Each area equals 25% of the total score. I have created abbreviations for each criteria so that it is easy for you to remember, and you can use them to check your task when you finish writing it in the exam.
EXAMINER WILL GRADE YOUR WRITING ON THE BASIS OF
HOW IS IT ASSESSED?
Task achievement*
(PAT)
P (Purpose is clear)
A (Answers the questions fully)
T (Tone is correct- Formal/casual)
Coherence and cohesion
(COP)
C (Cohesive devices/linkers are enough)
O (Organized/well-linked ideas)
P (Paragraphing- it is adequate and smooth transition)
Lexical resource
(PVCs)
P (Paraphrasing the words from the task – uses synonyms & antonyms)
V (Vocabulary range is sufficient)
C (Collocations- phrases used commonly, like ‘plays a key role in’, ‘makes a significant contribution to’ etc )
S (Spelling is correct)
Grammatical range and accuracy
Range= Range of sentence structures (Simple, complex & compound), voice (Active & Passive)
Accuracy= No grammatical errors
Writing task 1 criteria
Task 2 is always an essay for both the General and the Academic modules. Again, this task is worth more bands, so more practice and time should be devoted to it for maximum band score. Writing essay is an activity that requires organization of ideas and persuasive skills, which can be easily developed through constant practice and right guidance.
EXAMINER WILL MARK YOUR ESSAY ON THE BASIS OF
WHAT WILL HE CHECK?
Task Achievement
(FIA)
F (Fully developed position)
I (Ideas relevant, fully extended and well supported)
A (Address all parts of the task)
Cohesion & Coherence
(AP)
C (Cohesive devices/linkers are enough, or,
Attracts no attention- What on earth it means? )
O (Organized/well-linked ideas)
P (Paragraphing- it is adequate and smooth transition)
Lexical Resource
(RRS)
P (Paraphrasing the words from the task – uses synonyms & antonyms)
V (Vocabulary range is sufficient)
C (Collocations- phrases used commonly, like ‘plays a key role in’, ‘makes a significant contribution to’ etc )
S (Spelling is correct)
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
(RA)
Range= Range of sentence structures (Simple, complex & compound), voice (Active & Passive)
Accuracy= No grammatical errors
Writing Task 2 Criteria
*You will notice that the criteria for both the tasks differs only on the task response. Rest all points are similar.
Ok, so a good question here would be, ‘Why do you need to remember these points? Why did I ever worked on the abbreviations for you to remember?”
My answer here is
“Because when you have written your task in the exam, you have to check it. And then, if you remember these abbreviations, it will be easier for you to check your task against each point.”
This is the key to getting the maximum bands in the writing section, which most of the students are unaware about. So, keep these short forms on your tips and aim for Band 7 or more!!!
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