IELTS Writing for Master's applicants: How to Fix 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. Compare the next essay against the log to see whether the pattern is gone.

At a glance

For: Master's applicants
Problem: Making the same mistakes after getting feedback
Scoring criterion: Coherence and Cohesion
Task affected: Task 1 and Task 2
IELTS test: Academic
Typical effort: two to four weeks
First step: Pick the two highest-impact issues from the feedback and ignore the rest for now.

Why this happens to master's applicants

Feedback is only useful if it changes the next essay. Candidates read comments, agree, and write the next essay the same way because nothing forces the change.

Why this affects master's applicants: academic reading is strong, but formal writing in a second language is often slower than expected.

Long, dense paragraphs hide the central idea.

A strength to build on: Experience of reading and summarising sources helps with Task 1 and with structuring arguments.

Fix it in four steps

Pick the two highest-impact issues from the feedback and ignore the rest for now.
Rewrite the essay or the weakest paragraph using only those two fixes.
Add the issues to an error log with a one-line example of the correct form.
Check the log before each new essay and again in your final proofread.

Before and after

Before

Same article error in four essays in a row.

After

The error appears once in the next essay, and not at all in the one after.

Ten-minute drill: Rewrite one old paragraph with feedback applied and compare it with the original to see exactly what changed.

Questions and answers

How can master's applicants fix 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. Compare the next essay against the log to see whether the pattern is gone. Long, dense paragraphs hide the central idea.

How long does it take master's applicants to fix making the same mistakes after getting feedback?

Most learners need two to four weeks. Offer deadlines fix the date, so work backwards from the test date and book practice feedback early.

How many issues should I fix at once?

Two. More than that dilutes attention, and the same errors return.

Should I rewrite the whole essay?

Rewrite the weakest paragraph at minimum. A full rewrite is useful once a week.

What does a good practice drill look like for master's applicants?

Rewrite one old paragraph with feedback applied and compare it with the original to see exactly what changed. Offer deadlines fix the date, so work backwards from the test date and book practice feedback early.

How can master's applicants tell they have fixed making the same mistakes after getting feedback?

An issue from the log is absent from your next two essays.

What should master's applicants know about their IELTS Writing target?

Postgraduate programmes set a minimum overall IELTS score and often a higher minimum for Writing. Confirm the exact condition on your offer.

Should master's applicants practise this on Task 1, Task 2 or both?

It shows up in both tasks. Fix it in Task 2 first, because Task 2 carries about twice the weight of Task 1, then check Task 1 with the same checklist. Experience of reading and summarising sources helps with Task 1 and with structuring arguments.

Can an AI checker help master's applicants with making the same mistakes after getting feedback?

An AI checker can show where this pattern appears in your own essay and which criterion it affects, which makes the fix concrete. It gives a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score, so use it to choose the next revision, rewrite, and check again. The first check on this site is free.

Check your own essay

See where making the same mistakes after getting feedback appears in your own writing and which criterion it affects, then rewrite the weakest paragraph.

Run a free first check

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.