IELTS Writing for Candidates with 30 days before the exam
A month allows a criterion-based plan: diagnose in week one, fix the lowest criterion in weeks two and three, and rehearse timing in week four.
Why this group needs its own plan: candidates write many essays without checking whether the same weakness repeats.
A strength to build on: Enough time exists for three or four feedback and rewrite cycles.
Planning note: Diagnose, target, rewrite, then rehearse under test conditions.
Fix these first
- Writing scores that go up and down between attempts
Scores swing when one criterion is much weaker than the others or when the essay changes with the question type.
- The gap between Band 6 and Band 7 in Writing
The jump from 6 to 7 comes from control, not from fancier language: a clear position, fully developed ideas, logical progression, accurate complex sentences and few errors that distract.
- Making the same mistakes after getting feedback
After each piece of feedback, rewrite the same essay once, fix the top two issues and record them in an error log.
- Ideas that are listed but not developed
Develop each main idea in three moves: state it, explain the mechanism behind it, and show a consequence or example.
- Running out of time in the Writing paper
Split the 60 minutes as about 20 for Task 1 and 40 for Task 2, with 5 minutes of planning and 3 to 5 minutes of checking inside each.
Every guide for candidates with 30 days before the exam, by scoring criterion
Task Achievement and Task Response
- An unclear position in Task 2
- Ideas that are listed but not developed
- Memorised paragraphs that do not match the question
- Answering only one part of a two-part question
- Examples that are too general to prove the point
- A conclusion that only repeats the introduction
- Essays that finish under the minimum word count
- Running out of time in the Writing paper
- Writing scores that go up and down between attempts
- The gap between Band 6 and Band 7 in Writing
- A missing or weak overview in Task 1
- Choosing the wrong features to describe in Task 1
- Misreading or misreporting data in Task 1
- Task 1 reports that are too long or too detailed
- The wrong tone in a General Training letter
- Missing or thin bullet points in a General Training letter
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Questions and answers
What do candidates with 30 days before the exam need to know about IELTS Writing targets?
A month allows a criterion-based plan: diagnose in week one, fix the lowest criterion in weeks two and three, and rehearse timing in week four.
What should candidates with 30 days before the exam fix first in IELTS Writing?
Start with writing scores that go up and down between attempts, the gap between band 6 and band 7 in writing, making the same mistakes after getting feedback. Enough time exists for three or four feedback and rewrite cycles.
How should candidates with 30 days before the exam organise IELTS Writing practice?
Diagnose, target, rewrite, then rehearse under test conditions.
Which IELTS test should candidates with 30 days before the exam take?
Check whether the organisation that will read your result asks for Academic or General Training, because Task 1 differs: a chart, map or process for Academic, and a letter for General Training. Task 2 is an essay in both.
Check your own essay
Find which of these problems is holding back your own Writing score before you decide what to practise.
Feedback is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score. Last reviewed 2026-11-11. Score requirements change, so confirm them with the organisation that will read your result.