IELTS Academic Preparation Course: Writing Task 1: describing data
Untimed topic quiz: 17 questions on Writing Task 1: describing data, with an explanation after each answer. Questions and answers are shuffled every time.
Task 1 needs at least 150 words and should take about 20 minutes. Task 2 needs at least 250 words, in no more than 40 minutes.
Question 2 of 17
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Answer: C. A diagram showing the stages of a process
Academic Task 1 shows a graph, table, chart or diagram (for example of a process). Letters are a General Training task, and arguments belong in Task 2.
Question 3 of 17
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Answer: C. Academic or semi-formal and neutral
The official format page asks for an academic or semi-formal/neutral style. Notes and bullet points are penalised.
Question 4 of 17
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Answer: B. No. Describe only what the information shows
Task 1 is an information-transfer task. The official criteria say you should report the data, not give speculative explanations that lie outside it.
Question 5 of 17
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Answer: D. A clear overview of the main trends or differences
The official advice is to summarise the key features, such as main trends or differences, and include a clear overview, supported by relevant figures.
Question 6 of 17
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Answer: D. soared
"Soared" means rose quickly to a high level. "Dipped" and "declined" describe falls, and "levelled off" means stopped changing.
Question 7 of 17
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Answer: A. Car use fell but stayed highest, while all other types of transport grew.
An overview gives the main features: car use fell (58% to 41%) but stayed highest, and all the others rose. The table shows percentages, not the number of commuters.
Question 8 of 17
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Answer: A. Bicycle
Bicycle rose by 8 points (4% to 12%), train by 6, bus by 2 and walking by 1. Compare the change, not the final figure.
Question 9 of 17
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Answer: A. 17
58 − 41 = 17 percentage points. 41 and 58 are the two values, not the change.
Question 10 of 17
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Answer: D. The share of commuters who cycled tripled.
Cycling went from 4% to 12%, and 12 ÷ 4 = 3, so it tripled. The rise was 8 percentage points, not 12.
Question 11 of 17
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Answer: C. The share of commuters travelling by train rose from 9% to 15%.
Train use rose from 9% to 15%. In 2025 cycling (12%) was above walking (8%), bus use rose slightly, and in 2005 cycling (4%) was the least popular.
Question 12 of 17
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Answer: C. The process has six stages, from collecting used paper to rolling new paper.
A good opening gives an overview of the whole process: how many stages, where it starts and where it ends. Opinions do not belong in Task 1, and pulping is not the first stage.
Question 13 of 17
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Answer: D. The paper is sorted by type.
Processes are often described with the passive: is/are + past participle ("is sorted"). The other options have grammar mistakes.
Question 14 of 17
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Answer: A. Next
"Next" shows the order of stages. "However" shows contrast, and "although" and "because" must join two clauses in one sentence.
Question 15 of 17
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Answer: D. levelled off at 1,800
The number was 1,800 in both years, so it levelled off (stayed the same). "Fluctuated" means went up and down.
Question 16 of 17
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Answer: A. 25%
The fall was 1,200 − 900 = 300. 300 ÷ 1,200 = 0.25, so 25%. Dividing by the new figure (300 ÷ 900) gives 33%, which is a common mistake.
Question 17 of 17
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Answer: C. Despite a fall in 2020, numbers rose overall, ending 50% higher.
1,800 ÷ 1,200 = 1.5, so the final figure was 50% higher, not double. Numbers did not rise every year: they fell in 2020 and stayed the same in 2024.
Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.