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Cambridge IELTS 12 Academic Writing Test 1 runs a Task 1 bar chart and then a Task 2 discussion essay, which means switching registers from analytical neutrality to confident argument inside the same hour. Task 1 asks you to summarise the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010. Task 2 then turns to a discursive prompt: Some people believe that it is good to share as much information as possible in scientific research, business and the academic world.
Group the bars by trend rather than reading them left to right: which categories grew, which fell, which stayed flat. Pick two contrasting bars to anchor the comparison paragraph and reserve numerical detail for them, citing units consistently throughout. Use two body paragraphs, one per view, then a balanced concluding paragraph that explains why both perspectives have merit.
Spend twenty minutes flat on Task 1 — five planning, twelve writing, three reviewing — and forty on Task 2, with at least five of those at the end for proofreading. Task 2 is worth twice the marks, so do not let an over-long bar chart description steal time from your essay. For band 7, the essay's argumentation matters more than the report's elegance, but a clean overview sentence in Task 1 is non-negotiable.
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