IELTS Writing Task 2 topics: 63 practice questions and 9 plans

Task 2 topics are everyday issues, not specialist subjects: IDP says they "are related to areas of general interest" (IDP), and examples may come from your own experience (IELTS sample responses).

Below are 63 practice questions written by the GoPrep team in the style of the current test: 7 for each of 9 topic areas, labelled by essay type. The real test draws on many topics, so treat them as practice, not a forecast. The area matters less than you might fear: for 938 GoPrep learners who wrote in several areas (5,779 essays, 28 July to 26 September 2026, AI-scored), after an approximate adjustment for attempt order, average deviations from learners' own scores were about 0.1 band or less in all 9 areas.

Task Response measures how fully you answer the question. Different learners wrote different types: among 783 learners with first essays of 2 or more types, the share ranged only from 25% to 32%. No type is a safe one.

Education

1. Opinion: Many schools now let students use AI chatbots for homework. Some people think this should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Discussion: Some people think children should start learning a foreign language at the start of primary school. Others think it is better to wait until secondary school. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
3. Problem and solution: In many countries, fewer young people want to become teachers. Why is this happening, and what can be done about it?
4. Advantages and disadvantages: More universities now offer complete degree courses online. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
5. Two-part: Many students now take a year off between school and university. Why do they do this? Is it a positive or negative development?
6. Opinion: Exam results are the fairest way to decide who gets a place at university. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Problem and solution: Many adults never learned how to manage money. What causes this problem, and how could schools help to solve it?

Plan for question 1 (opinion)

• Position: Partly disagree: a ban is hard to enforce, so clear rules on how to use chatbots work better.
• Idea 1: A chatbot can explain a problem step by step when no teacher or parent is available.
• Idea 2: Copying its answers skips the thinking homework is for, so some tasks belong in class.
• Example: A student asks the chatbot why her maths answer is wrong instead of asking it to solve the equation.

Work and money

1. Problem and solution: In many companies, AI tools now do tasks that junior staff used to do. What problems could this cause for young workers, and how can they be solved?
2. Opinion: Employers should be allowed to monitor what their staff do on work computers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Discussion: Some people think employees should be paid according to their results. Others believe everyone in the same job should earn the same. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. Advantages and disadvantages: More people now work from home for companies in other countries. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
5. Two-part: Many young people now earn money through delivery or freelance apps instead of regular jobs. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development?
6. Opinion: Governments should set a maximum salary for company directors. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Problem and solution: In some countries, many graduates cannot find jobs that match their qualifications. What are the causes, and what can be done?

Plan for question 1 (problem and solution)

• Position: The problems are real, but companies can solve them by changing how they train beginners.
• Idea 1 (problem): Fewer simple tasks means fewer first jobs and fewer chances to learn the basics.
• Idea 2 (solution): Paid trainee roles where juniors check and correct AI work with a mentor.
• Example: A junior accountant who reviews AI-prepared reports learns to spot errors.

Technology and media

1. Opinion: Some people believe social media companies should be responsible for false information posted on their platforms. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Discussion: Some countries are banning social media accounts for children under 16. Some people think this protects children; others think it will not work. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
3. Advantages and disadvantages: Many banks now use chatbots instead of staff to answer customers' questions. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
4. Two-part: People today spend more time watching short videos online than reading. Why is this? What effects does it have on them?
5. Problem and solution: Online scams are becoming more common, and older people are often the victims. Why is this happening, and what can be done to protect them?
6. Opinion: Scientific research should be paid for only by governments, not by private companies. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Advantages and disadvantages: Face recognition cameras are now used in many public places, such as stations. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Plan for question 1 (opinion)

• Position: Largely agree for content the platform promotes, but not for every private message.
• Idea 1: Companies earn money when posts spread fast, so they share responsibility.
• Idea 2: Checking every post is impossible and could limit free speech, so the duty should cover what the feed recommends.
• Example: A false health rumour shown to millions by the feed, compared with a message between two friends.

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Environment

1. Opinion: Many products, from phones to washing machines, are cheaper to replace than to repair. Some people think governments should make repairing things cheaper and easier. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Advantages and disadvantages: Many cities now charge drivers to enter the centre. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
3. Problem and solution: Why do many people still buy bottled water when tap water is safe to drink? What can be done to reduce plastic bottle waste?
4. Discussion: Some people think protecting the environment is mainly the job of rich countries. Others believe every country should share it equally. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
5. Two-part: More people are choosing to buy second-hand clothes and furniture. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development?
6. Opinion: Governments should ban short flights when the same trip takes under four hours by train. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Problem and solution: Extreme heat is becoming more common in many cities. What problems does this cause, and what can city authorities do about it?

Plan for question 1 (opinion)

• Position: Largely agree, but rules on how products are designed work better than paying for repairs.
• Idea 1: Cheap replacement creates electronic waste and costs households more over time.
• Idea 2: Paying for every repair would fall on taxpayers, so design rules (spare parts, batteries that can be changed) are the better tool.
• Example: A phone that stays in use for several more years after a local shop replaces its battery in an hour.

Health and food

1. Two-part: In many countries, people are cooking less and buying more ready-made meals. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development?
2. Opinion: Fitness apps and smartwatches do more harm than good because they make people worry about their health. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Discussion: Some people think healthcare should be completely free for everyone. Others think patients should pay part of the cost. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. Problem and solution: Many teenagers today sleep less than they need. What are the causes, and what can be done about it?
5. Advantages and disadvantages: Some companies give employees free gym membership. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
6. Opinion: Advertising for fast food should be banned on television and online. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Two-part: Many people now look for medical advice online before they see a doctor. Why do they do this? Is it a positive or negative development?

Plan for question 1 (two-part)

• Position: Mostly negative for health, although the reasons are easy to understand.
• Idea 1 (why): People have less time, and a shop-bought meal needs heating, not cooking.
• Idea 2 (negative): Some of these meals contain more salt than the same dish made at home, and families lose the habit of cooking.
• Example: A family that heats up a supermarket lasagne most weeknights because both parents get home late.

Cities, housing and travel

1. Advantages and disadvantages: In many popular cities, owners now rent their flats to tourists instead of local residents. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
2. Opinion: Every new housing development should include a park, even if this makes the homes more expensive. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Problem and solution: In many large cities, young people cannot afford to buy or even rent a home. What problems does this cause, and what solutions can you suggest?
4. Discussion: Some people prefer to visit places popular with tourists. Others prefer places where few tourists go. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
5. Two-part: More people are moving from big cities to small towns and villages. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development?
6. Opinion: Tourists should pay an extra tax when they visit popular cities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Advantages and disadvantages: Rental electric scooters are now common in many cities. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Plan for question 1 (advantages and disadvantages)

• Position: The disadvantages outweigh the advantages once holiday rentals spread through whole neighbourhoods.
• Idea 1 (advantage): Owners earn more, and tourists spend money in local businesses.
• Idea 2 (disadvantage): Fewer homes for residents push rents up and change the character of the area.
• Example: An old-town street where half the flats are holiday rentals and the bakery is now a souvenir shop.

Family, children and ageing

1. Discussion: Some people think grandparents are the best people to look after young children while parents work. Others think professional childcare is better. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
2. Opinion: Parents should not post photos of their children on social media without the child's permission. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Two-part: In many countries, people are having fewer children than in the past. Why is this happening? What effects will it have on society?
4. Problem and solution: Many older people live alone and rarely talk to anyone. What are the causes of this problem, and what can be done to solve it?
5. Advantages and disadvantages: In some countries, many young adults live with their parents until their thirties. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
6. Opinion: Parents should pay their children for doing household chores. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Discussion: Some people think teenagers should have a part-time job while at school. Others believe they should focus only on studying. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Plan for question 1 (discussion)

• Position: Professional childcare suits most families better, with grandparents as extra support.
• View 1: Grandparents offer love and trust, cost nothing and pass on family traditions.
• View 2: Nurseries offer trained staff, a daily routine and other children to play with.
• Example: A child who spends mornings at a nursery and afternoons with a grandmother gets both.

Culture, sport and leisure

1. Problem and solution: Many traditional crafts and skills are disappearing. Why is this happening, and what can be done to protect them?
2. Opinion: Video games should be treated as a sport and included in major international competitions. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Discussion: Some people think films and books made with AI are a threat to artists. Others see AI as a useful creative tool. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. Two-part: Many young people know more about global pop stars than about their own country's artists. Why is this? Is it a positive or negative development?
5. Advantages and disadvantages: Some national parks and historic sites now limit daily visitor numbers. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
6. Opinion: Professional sports clubs should be required to sell cheap tickets for ordinary families. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Problem and solution: In many countries, local languages are spoken by fewer people every year. Why is this happening, and what can be done?

Plan for question 1 (problem and solution)

• Position: The decline can be slowed if crafts give their makers a living.
• Idea 1 (cause): Factory goods are cheaper, and young people see no future in slow, low-paid work.
• Idea 2 (solution): Craft classes in schools, plus markets and online shops where makers sell directly.
• Example: A carpet weaver who sells online abroad and can now afford two apprentices.

Society and government

1. Opinion: Some people think voting in national elections should be compulsory. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Two-part: In some countries, young people are less interested in politics than older people. Why is this? How could they be involved more?
3. Discussion: Some people believe the rich should pay a much higher tax rate. Others think everyone should pay the same rate. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
4. Advantages and disadvantages: Some towns let residents vote on how part of the local budget is spent. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
5. Opinion: Community service is a better punishment than prison for minor crimes. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
6. Problem and solution: In many cities, people do not know their neighbours. What problems does this cause, and what can be done?
7. Advantages and disadvantages: Governments are moving more public services online, from tax forms to doctor's appointments. Is this a positive or negative development?

Plan for question 1 (opinion)

• Position: Disagree: voting should stay a free choice, but governments should make it easier.
• Idea 1: People forced to vote may choose carelessly if they have not followed the issues.
• Idea 2: Low turnout is better solved by making voting easier, for example online or at weekends.
• Example: A nurse on night shifts who can't reach a polling station would vote if she could vote online.

Where each plan line went:

• Position → introduction and conclusion: I largely agree, although… gives the view and its limit; the conclusion repeats both in new words.
• Idea 1 → body 1: the topic sentence names the waste, then the paragraph explains why it matters and what households save.
• Example → inside body 1: the phone and its battery, in two sentences, with no invented statistics.
• Idea 2 → body 2: However, this support has limits turns to the cost to taxpayers, then to design rules as the answer.

Keep notes per area (two sides you could argue, 2 examples, 5 checked collocations), not a script: the band descriptors give band 0 where there is proof that an answer has been totally memorised. Words that fit any area are in Task 2 vocabulary by meaning.

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*Subsample only (3 or more essays in 2 or more areas): each score minus the writer's own average, adjusted for attempt order. Areas assigned by the GoPrep team.

Averages for all essays rounded to 6.0 in every area except society and government (6.5). Every gap is well under half a band, the smallest step on the IELTS scale. Single essays vary more: after the same adjustment, 34% to 43% of essays in every area were half a band or more from the writer's own average, and 106 of 308 learners had averages half a band or more apart in their two main areas (with few essays, partly ordinary variation). Grammatical Range and Accuracy had the lowest average of the 4 criteria in every area. These are AI scores on mock tests, not official marks, and they don't show that a topic causes a score.

Test-takers' reports agree that any area can come up: of 205 exam reports on Reddit's r/IELTS, January to September 2026 (self-reported, not official), 78 named a Task 2 topic, and every area appeared, culture and sport most often (15 of 78).

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P.S. GoPrep checks your Task 2 essay with AI on the 4 IELTS criteria and gives you a Band Contract with the three fixes that matter most in that essay, whatever the topic.