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IELTS / Guides / Writing · Task 1: multiple charts
IELTS Writing · Guide

IELTS Writing Task 1 Multiple Charts: how to handle two or three visuals

Some Task 1 questions give two or three visuals, such as a line graph and a table, or a bar chart and a pie chart, on a related topic. You still write one report of the same length. It tests whether you can see how the charts relate and how to select information strictly rather than describe everything.

About Writing practice

Format

  • Task 1 of Academic Writing: about 20 minutes of the 60, a minimum of 150 words, and one third of the Writing mark because Task 2 counts twice as much.
  • Two or three visuals share one topic, for example visitor numbers and where the visitors come from. Reported to be more common in recent tests.
  • The word limit does not change. About 170 to 190 words is a practical target, which leaves little space for each chart.
  • One overview is needed, and it must cover all the visuals.
  • Marked on four equally weighted criteria. On computer you type with a live word count.

Strategy

  1. Read each visual and note what it measures, its unit and its time frame. Then ask how they connect: are they different measures of the same thing, the same measure for different groups, or the cause and result of one another?
  2. Write one introduction that covers all the visuals in a single sentence, using a paraphrase of the instruction and a phrase such as 'and also shows'.
  3. Write an overview that gives the main feature of each visual and, if possible, links them: 'Overall, visitor numbers rose steadily, and most of the increase came from overseas.'
  4. Choose the strict minimum for each: with two charts you have only about 55 to 65 words each in the body, which is about three sentences. Choose the one or two highest-value facts.
  5. Organise body paragraphs by visual, or by theme if the visuals share categories. One paragraph per visual is the simplest when the charts are different in kind.
  6. Use link phrases to show the relationship: 'In line with this', 'This is reflected in the table, which shows', 'By contrast, the pie chart reveals'.
  7. Watch the tenses for each visual separately: one may be past and another present or projected.
  8. Check that no visual has been forgotten and that you have not gone over about 190 words, because a 260-word answer leaves too little time for Task 2.

Common traps

  • Describing each chart in as much detail as you would if it were alone. This produces an answer of 260 words and leaves too little time for Task 2.
  • Leaving out one of the visuals, which is the clearest way of losing marks in Task Achievement.
  • Writing an overview about only one chart.
  • Treating the charts as separate reports with no link, so the answer reads as two mini answers.
  • Applying one tense to everything when the visuals have different time frames.

Practise it inside a real Writing section

Practice on PrepFreely is always a complete section, so you meet this question type in the same place and proportion as on test day. Random sections never repeat until you've done them all. Every answer is explained.

Practise Writing Take the Writing course

FAQ

Do I write more words when there are two or three visuals?

No. The minimum is still 150 words, and the target is about 170 to 190. You select more strictly instead.

Do I need an overview for each chart?

No. Write one overview that covers all of them and links them if possible.

How should I split the body paragraphs?

By visual is simplest. If the charts share categories, you can organise by theme and compare across charts.

What if the charts use different time frames?

Use the tense that suits each one, and signal the shift clearly.

How long should I take?

About 20 minutes, the same as for a single chart. Plan for 3 minutes, write for about 14 and check for 3.

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