How To Check Your IELTS Essay

It is really important to allow at least 5 minutes at the end of your test to check your IELTS essay. Under the pressure of the test it is not uncommon for test-takers to make mistakes that they normally would not. Self-correcting your essay can definitely improve your band score, so do it!

It is not possible to rewrite paragraphs during this 5 minutes, or change your arguments significantly, however you can quickly check for these common IELTS writing mistakes:

  1. Spelling mistakes.
  2. Capital letters, full-stops and general punctuation.
  3. Missing, or mis-use of articles 'a, an and the'.
  4. Prepositions: in, at, on, by, for etc...
  5. Word formations: success, successful, successfully.
  6. Letter 's' endings.

Can you spot the 10 mistakes in the paragraph below. Try for yourself first, and then check your ideas by clicking the 'Answers' tab.

university graduates posess a deeper knowledge which can improve there work ethic and enable them too be more effective employee, where as those with experience only, may require additional training later in their carears. I remain of the firm opinion that completing university education is off greater importance than time spent gaining hand on experience

University graduates possess a deeper knowledge which can improve their work ethic and enable them to be more effective employees, where as those with experience only, may require additional training later in their careers. I remain of the firm opinion that completing a university education is of greater importance than time spent gaining hands on experience.

How many times have you made similar mistakes to those above? As a final reminder, these are some of the things you can check for and correct quickly and easily in the last 5 minutes of your test:

  1. Spelling mistakes.
  2. Capital letters, full-stops and general punctuation.
  3. Missing, or mis-use of articles 'a, an and the'.
  4. Prepositions: in, at, on, by, for etc...
  5. Word formations: success, successful, successfully.
  6. Letter 's' endings.