IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics: What Comes Up and How to Prepare for Each

You cannot predict the exact question you will get on test day, but you can predict the topic. Twelve broad themes appear again and again in IELTS Writing Task 2, and the more you know about what each topic rewards, the faster you can plan an answer under pressure. This is not about memorising essays. It is about building a mental model of each topic so that when you see the question, you already know what kind of argument the examiner expects.

How the 12 topics work

Every Task 2 question sits inside one of these topic families. Some (Education, Technology, Environment) come up more than others, but across a year of test dates all twelve appear. Knowing the angle each one rewards means you spend your 40 minutes arguing, not wondering what to say.

• Education: school starting ages, university vs vocational training, the role of teachers vs technology, whether education should be free. Examiners reward arguments that weigh both practical outcomes and social values.
• Environment: climate change, pollution, conservation, plastic waste, corporate vs individual responsibility. Examiners reward solutions that are specific and realistic, not vague calls for 'more awareness.'
• Technology: social media, AI, screen time, remote work, automation and jobs. Examiners reward a balanced view that acknowledges both benefits and genuine costs.
• Work: remote work, work-life balance, retirement age, the gig economy, job satisfaction vs salary. Examiners reward arguments grounded in real working conditions, not abstract ideals.
• Society: crime and punishment, immigration, ageing populations, gender roles, community vs individual. Examiners reward clear ethical reasoning that does not shy away from trade-offs.
• Health: diet and exercise, public health policy, mental health, healthcare funding, sugary drinks and taxes. Examiners reward arguments that weigh personal choice against public good.
• Globalisation: trade, cultural homogenisation, tourism, multinational corporations, international cooperation. Examiners reward arguments that look at both local and global consequences.
• Government: taxation, public spending, censorship, the role of the state, arts funding. Examiners reward arguments that stay grounded in real government functions rather than broad ideology.
• Family: parenting styles, working parents, elderly care, marriage, children's independence. Examiners reward arguments that acknowledge how family life varies across cultures.
• Media: advertising, news, celebrities, screen time, the internet and children, influence of TV. Examiners reward arguments that distinguish between types of media rather than treating all 'media' as one thing.
• Urban: city living, transport, housing, green spaces, infrastructure. Examiners reward arguments that show an understanding of how cities actually function.
• Travel: tourism's effects, air travel, learning from travel, cultural exchange. Examiners reward arguments that weigh economic benefits against environmental and social costs.

Which question types appear inside each topic

A topic tells you the content. The question type tells you the structure. Cross those two and you know exactly what to do. Here is how the five Task 2 question types typically land inside each topic:

• Opinion essays: common in Education, Technology, and Society. 'To what extent do you agree or disagree with free university education?' The trap is sitting on the fence. Pick a side and hold it.
• Discussion essays: common in Work, Family, and Globalization. 'Some people believe children should have strict rules. Others think children should be free. Discuss both views and give your opinion.' The trap is arguing only one side.
• Problem-solution essays: common in Environment, Health, and Urban. 'What are the problems caused by traffic congestion and how can they be solved?' The trap is listing problems without matching them to solutions.
• Advantages-disadvantages essays: common in Technology, Travel, and Media. 'Do the advantages of working from home outweigh the disadvantages?' The trap is never answering the 'outweigh' part.
• Two-part questions: cross all topics. 'What are the benefits of tourism? How can its negative effects be reduced?' The trap is answering only one half.

Build topic vocabulary, not giant word lists

The most efficient vocabulary work is topic-specific. Instead of memorising a random list of academic words, build 8 to 10 collocations per topic that you can use naturally. When an Education question appears, you should already have 'formal curriculum', 'holistic development', 'standardised testing', and 'vocational pathway' ready, not because you memorised them yesterday, but because they are part of how you think about the topic.

The topics to prioritise

If you have limited study time, concentrate on Education, Society, Technology, and Environment. These four alone produce roughly half of all Task 2 questions. Health and Work are the next tier. The remaining six appear less often but are worth a quick pass so you are not surprised. You can browse real prompts for every topic on our topics directory.

If you want to see how topic-specific vocabulary actually affects your band, paste an essay into the grader and check your Lexical Resource score. The sentence-level feedback flags collocation errors and word-choice slips, so you can see which topics your vocabulary is ready for.