Writing and marking
Writing is the module with a language model behind it. You write against a prompt under timing, submit, and a marker reads it against the IELTS band descriptors.
The two tasks
| Time | Minimum words | |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | 20 min | 150 |
| Task 2 | 40 min | 250 |
The prompt list filters by task. What you are shown depends on whether your account is set to Academic or General Training.
Writing
The editor shows the prompt, a timer, and a live word count. Your essay saves as you type, with retries if a save fails.
Autosave is never blocked. Not by a spent quota, not by anything — a save that refused would be a save that lost your work, which is the one thing an editor must not do.
Leaving and coming back resumes the same attempt with your text in it.
When the mark is spent
Free: 2 marked essays per 7 days
The mark is charged when you start an attempt, not when you submit it.
That ordering matters, and it works in your favour:
- An attempt that exists is always marked. Once you have started one, nothing can stop it being read — the cost was already taken.
- A failed marking run costs you nothing. If the marker errors, you can run it again and it does not count a second time.
- Abandoning a started attempt does spend the mark. If you open an essay and never write it, that is one of your two gone for the window.
The quota meter is on the prompt list from your first visit, showing what is left and the exact day it resets. When it is spent, the Start button stays visible but disabled — the product tells you why rather than hiding the feature.
After you submit
You go to the report, which may still be marking. See Your writing report.