Academic
IELTS Academic writing practice test 3
A Task 1 line graph and a Task 2 essay, with a Band 9 model answer for each. Free, with no signup.
This is the third complete IELTS Academic writing practice test on this site: a line graph of carbon dioxide emissions by source, and an essay about restricting international air travel.
A line graph over four points in time is the commonest Task 1 question of all, and it is the one where trend language matters most. Group the sources that behave alike rather than describing each line in turn, and put the biggest movements in an overview before any figures.
Task 1 · 20 minutes · at least 150 words
Task 1: the question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The line graph below shows carbon dioxide emissions in million tonnes from five sources in the United Kingdom in 1994, 2004, 2014 and 2024.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Nothing you write here is sent anywhere or stored. Copy it out before you leave the page.
Show a Band 9 answer to this task (167 words)
The line graph shows carbon dioxide emissions in million tonnes from five sources in the United Kingdom between 1994 and 2024.
Overall, power stations fell from the highest emitting source to the lowest over the period, while transport rose steadily to become the single largest source by 2024.
In 1994, power stations led at approximately 52 million tonnes, followed by transport at 30, industrial combustion at 28, domestic at 24, and other sectors at 11. Over the following decade, power stations fell to 44 while transport climbed to 36, with remaining sources staying broadly stable.
By 2014, power stations had declined further to around 32 million tonnes as transport peaked at 38. By 2024, power stations had dropped sharply to just 18 while transport settled at 34, making it the highest-emitting source. Industrial combustion fell steadily to 11 and domestic declined marginally to 19.
Ultimately, the data reflects a significant shift in the UK's emissions profile, with power generation becoming markedly cleaner while transport remained stubbornly high.
Read it after you have written your own, not before. Comparing your answer with a model is useful; copying its structure into a different question is not, and examiners recognise it.
Task 2 · 40 minutes · at least 250 words
Task 2: the question
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Show a Band 9 answer to this task (298 words)
International air travel is widely recognised as a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. While some argue that restricting it is an overreach, this essay will argue that proportionate limitations on air travel are both justified and necessary.
The environmental case for restriction is compelling. Aviation accounts for a disproportionate share of global emissions relative to the number of people it serves, and uniquely deposits those emissions at high altitude where their warming effect is amplified. Unlike road or energy sectors, aviation has no credible near-term pathway to decarbonisation — battery technology remains wholly inadequate for long-haul flight, and sustainable aviation fuels exist only at negligible scale. Waiting for a technological solution that may not arrive within a meaningful timeframe is not a responsible position.
Despite decades of industry pledges and voluntary carbon offset schemes, aviation emissions have continued to rise, demonstrating that self-regulation is insufficient and that external restriction is necessary. Opponents of restriction argue that air travel underpins the global economy, connects communities, and enables cultural exchange that would otherwise be impossible. These are legitimate points. However, they do not justify an unrestricted right to fly at any frequency. A proportionate approach — such as progressive taxation on frequent flyers, restrictions on short-haul routes where rail alternatives exist, or carbon pricing that reflects the true environmental cost — would reduce harm without eliminating the genuine benefits of international connectivity.
The argument that restriction is impractical or unfair to developing nations also deserves scrutiny. In reality, the overwhelming majority of flights are taken by a small, wealthy minority. Restricting access for the heaviest users while protecting essential travel for underserved populations is both achievable and equitable.
Restriction, applied intelligently, is not an attack on freedom — it is a proportionate response to a demonstrable and urgent problem.
Read it after you have written your own, not before. Comparing your answer with a model is useful; copying its structure into a different question is not, and examiners recognise it.
The honest limit of a free page
Nobody can tell you what that would score
Reading and listening convert from a raw score, so this site can mark them for you. Writing cannot be marked that way. There is no answer key, because the assessment is a judgement against four criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy.
Comparing your answer with the Band 9 model above will show you some of the gap. What it will not tell you is which of the four criteria is holding your band down, and that is almost always the thing worth fixing first.
IELTStestONLINE assesses your writing against those four criteria, instantly and as often as you like, using a system built by a former IELTS examiner and examiner trainer.
See what membership includesQuestions about this IELTS Academic writing practice test
How long is the IELTS General Training writing test?
Sixty minutes for both tasks. Spend about twenty minutes on the Task 1 letter and forty on the Task 2 essay, which is worth twice the marks.
How many words do I need to write?
At least 150 for Task 1 and at least 250 for Task 2. Writing under the minimum is penalised under Task Achievement, and there is no benefit in writing far over it.
Can I get my answer marked here?
No. Writing is judged against four criteria rather than checked against an answer key, so no free page can score it. That is what full membership on IELTStestONLINE is for.
Should I read the model answer first?
No. Write your own answer under time, then read the model and compare. Reading it first turns a test into a copying exercise, and examiners recognise borrowed structures.
Is Task 2 the same in both modules?
Yes. Task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words in both Academic and General Training. Only Task 1 differs, where General Training writes a letter.