Frequently asked questions

Why aren’t the IELTS Academic Reading and Writing tasks more like university-level tasks?

IELTS is designed to test readiness to enter the world of university-level study in the English language and the ability to cope with the demands of that context immediately after entry. It does not assume that test-takers have already mastered (or even partially acquired) the range of university-level reading or writing skills which they are likely to need; in fact, they will probably need to develop many of these skills during their course of study, often in ways that are specific to a particular academic domain. The implication of this is that IELTS Academic Reading and Writing tasks cannot simulate the sort of university-level tasks which test-takers will encounter in their studies. It would be unreasonable to define the ‘authenticity’ of IELTS Academic Reading and Writing tasks purely in terms of ‘simulated university-level tasks’ and then to judge them against that criterion.

Instead, tasks are designed to be accessible to a wide range of test-takers (irrespective of their academic discipline) and to reflect features of writing activities that are already familiar to candidates from previous study experience as well as some general features of writing they may encounter in subsequent study. An essay format is used for Writing Task 2 precisely because it is a written genre widely used in both secondary and higher education contexts. Moore and Morton (1999) describe the essay as the predominant written genre used in university study and their study demonstrated empirically that IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 does share features in common with this format.