IELTS Task 1 checker — Academic and General Training

Yes. For Academic Task 1, you can upload an image of your chart, graph, table, or diagram alongside your written report. The AI reads the visual data and checks your written description against it — verifying that you have covered the key trends, included an overview, and accurately referenced the data. This is the only way to accurately check Task Achievement in Academic Task 1, since the report must describe what is in the visual.

150 words minimum for both Academic and General Training Task 1. Essays under 150 words receive a penalty to Task Achievement. Most Band 7+ responses are 160–190 words — enough to cover the key features thoroughly without padding. Going significantly over 200 words often wastes time that should be used for Task 2, which is worth more marks.

An overview is a sentence or two describing the most significant feature or overall trend in the data — without specific numbers. For example: 'Overall, Country A consistently produced the most energy across all years, while renewable sources showed the most significant growth.' Band 6+ Academic responses require a clear overview. It is usually written as the second paragraph (after the introduction) and is the single most important paragraph for Task Achievement in Academic Task 1. The checker specifically flags missing or weak overviews.

Formal letters go to unknown recipients in a professional context (a company, council, or landlord you have not met). They use 'Dear Sir/Madam', formal vocabulary ('I am writing to request...'), and 'Yours faithfully'. Semi-formal letters go to someone you know in a professional context (your manager, a colleague) and use their first name. Informal letters go to friends and family — 'Hi [name]', casual vocabulary, and 'Best wishes'. The prompt tells you the relationship: 'write to your landlord' is formal; 'write to a friend' is informal.

The three most common Academic Task 1 mistakes are: (1) Missing the overview — describing data without a summary of the overall trend, (2) Copying the question wording — using the exact same words as the question description in your introduction instead of paraphrasing, and (3) Describing every data point instead of selecting and comparing the key features. The checker detects all three of these issues and flags them with specific guidance.

No. Academic Task 1 asks you to describe and summarise data — not analyse, explain why, or give your opinion. Phrases like 'I think this shows that X is a problem' or 'This suggests the government should...' are inappropriate and lower your Task Achievement score. Your job is to report what the data shows, not interpret its causes or implications. General Training letters are different — expressing opinions, feelings, and requests is expected.

The recommended split is 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2. Task 2 is worth twice as many marks (40% of your writing score vs 20% for Task 1 in the overall IELTS score), so it warrants more time. Many students spend too long on Task 1 trying to be comprehensive — but 160–190 words covering the overview and key features is sufficient for a Band 7, whereas under-developing Task 2 is far more costly.