What the exam asks
- The same task in Academic and General Training: about 40 minutes and at least 250 words. You write a discursive essay in a neutral or semi-formal style, on a topic of general interest, for an educated reader who is not a specialist.
- The prompt: a statement or piece of background, followed by an instruction that tells you exactly what to do.
- Task Response is one of four equally weighted criteria. It asks three questions:
- Have you answered all parts of the question?
- Is your position clear and consistent?
- Are your main ideas relevant, extended and supported?
- Penalties:
- An essay under 250 words is penalised.
- Ignoring part of the question, or leaving out your opinion when one is required, normally caps Task Response at about Band 5.
- Writing about the general topic instead of the specific issue drops the band sharply.
Core ideas
Topic, issue and instruction
- Topic: the broad area, such as transport, education or work.
- Issue: the precise claim, including every qualifier.
- Instruction: what you must do with the issue.
Governments should spend more money on public transport than on building new roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (original)
The topic is transport. The issue is a spending priority: public transport versus roads, and more on one than the other. An essay on why public transport is good never compares it with roads, so it answers the topic, not the issue. This is the commonest route to Band 5–6 for Task Response.
Qualifiers that change the question: only, all, always, more than, the best way, should, in the future, children / older people / developing countries, individuals versus governments.
The five question types
| Type | Signal wording | What Task Response demands | Where your position goes |
|---|