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On Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Writing Test 4, candidates face a Task 1 process diagram followed by a Task 2 direct-question essay — a combination that rewards planning more than raw writing speed. Task 1 asks you to summarise the life cycle of a speicies of large fish called the salmon. Task 2 then turns to a discursive prompt: Many museums charge for admission while others are free.
For a process, group the stages into two clear phases — typically input/preparation versus transformation/output — and lead the body with the phase that contains the most steps. Use the passive voice consistently and chain stages with sequencers like 'subsequently', 'once' and 'at this point' rather than counting 'firstly, secondly, thirdly'. Answer the question directly in the introduction and use each body paragraph to develop one main reason or example. Hedge sensibly with 'in many cases' or 'particularly' rather than absolutes — examiners reward measured argumentation.
Budget twenty minutes for the Task 1 report and forty for the Task 2 essay, and resist the temptation to keep polishing Task 1 once your overview and two body paragraphs are in place. On a direct-question essay, the introduction and conclusion deserve at least seven minutes of focused work between them — they frame the marker's first and last impression of your Coherence and Cohesion.
New to this skill? Read the Writing question types guide for tactics, scoring rules, and frequency analysis across Cambridge 10–20. Or browse all Writing practice tests.
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