Just recently, IELTS officially published a group of data showing how test takers in 2023 – 2024 from different countries performed across all sections of the exam . The statistics, which cover both the Academic and General Training tests, provide a clear look at who’s excelling and where improvement is needed.
A Glance at the Stats: Academic vs. General Training
Countries like Malaysia, Spain, and Italy top the list in the Academic test, with overall scores between 7.0 and 7.1. They’re followed closely by France and Russia, who also perform well.
In the General Training version, France, South Africa, and Malaysia are consistent high-scorers, with overall results ranging from 6.8 to 6.9. A standout is South Africa, which impresses with a 7.8 in Speaking, the highest among the group.
Some Noticeable Insights from the Data
From these stats, one of the most noticeable trends is the drop in writing scores compared to the other sections. Countries that outstand in Listening and Reading, like Spain and Italy, still see their writing scores hovering just above 6. Even nations with strong speaking abilities, such as South Africa, don’t manage to pull writing scores higher than the mid-6 range.
In contrast, countries like Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal have an even steeper hill to climb, with their overall scores settling around 5 to 5.5, and writing being one of the major areas where they fall short. Their writing scores tend to remain stuck at or below 5.5, which drags down their overall performance.
Why Writing Is Such a Challenge
Many countries, even those that do well in other sections, struggle in Writting. Malaysia leads in writing for both test versions, with a score of 6.4, but many other countries, including India and Egypt, score around 6.1 or lower, indicating that writing tends to be a common weak spot.
Why? Well, unlike the other sections, writing requires you to balance good grammar, clear arguments, and well-structured essays, which can be tough for non-native speakers. Countries with less exposure to English or where it’s not used regularly in academic settings often have difficulty with meeting the high standards IELTS sets for this part.
Another reason could be the gap between casual spoken English and formal writing skills. Test takers might be great at listening or speaking in day-to-day situations, but formal writing requires a higher level of vocabulary and grammatical accuracy, which can be a challenge if it’s not practiced on a regular basis.
How to Improve Writing Performance
Don’t lose your confidence. Generally, there are ways to improve:
Plan your response: Before diving into your essay, take a few minutes to organize your thoughts. Make sure your ideas fulfill the task response, flow logically and are connected.
Work on grammar and sentence structure: Grammatical mistakes can seriously affect your score. Focus on using a variety of sentence types and make sure your basic grammar (like subject-verb agreement) is correct.
Practice common question types: Writing tasks often follow certain patterns. Get familiar with these and practice them to get comfortable with the structure.
Get feedback: Write practice essays and get them reviewed by someone fully understanding the IELTS criteria. This will help you identify areas where you can improve.
