Forty minutes for two thirds of the mark

Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1 and deserves forty of your sixty minutes. It is the same task for Academic and General Training. Minimum 250 words.

You are given a position or a question and asked to write an essay. There are four types, and identifying yours in the first thirty seconds decides everything afterwards.

Opinion — *To what extent do you agree or disagree?* You must take a position and hold it. Sitting on the fence reads as having no argument.

Discussion — *Discuss both views and give your own opinion.* Two jobs. Candidates routinely do the first and forget the second, which caps the answer.

Problem and solution — *What problems does this cause and how could they be solved?* Every problem you name needs a solution that actually addresses it.

Two-part question — two direct questions in the prompt. Both must be answered, and missing one is the commonest way to lose Task Response marks.

Read the prompt twice. A question about *children in cities* is not a question about *children*, and an essay about the wrong thing cannot score well however good the English is.

Write at least 250 words. Under-length is penalised directly. Aim for 260 to 290 — comfortably over, with time left to check.

There is no correct opinion. Examiners mark how you argue, not what you believe. Choose the side you can support with examples, not the side you actually hold, if they differ.