An investigation of the process of writing IELTS Academic Reading ...

Anthony Green and Roger Hawkey
multiple choice I will’ because he found that multiple choice items (in fact the item type with the
highest tariff) took much longer to write than other types. He would ensure that the tasks ‘work’ and
would change the text ‘to fit’ as necessary. The text was not ‘sacrosanct’, but could be adapted as
required.
Jane, reported that she did not ‘normally’ store texts on file, but went to certain sources regularly on
receiving a commission. On this occasion she looked for a new source. As ‘case studies’ had been
requested in a recent IELTS commission, she took this as a starting point and searched for this phrase
on the internet. There were ‘quite a few texts’ that she looked at before taking a decision on which to
use. Typically, Jane takes an early decision on the task types that would best suit a text: ‘something
like multiple choice requires a completely different text to True/False’. As she first scanned it, she
identified the text she eventually chose as being suitable for ‘certain task types, not really suitable for
others’. She also noticed that it contained too much technical detail, which she would need to cut. She
claimed that texts are ‘nearly always three times, if not four times the length that we need’. There was
then a process of ‘just cutting it and cutting it and cutting it, deciding which information you can target
and which bits of the text will be suitable for particular task types’. Like the others she used a split
screen to work on the items and text simultaneously.
Overview of the Item Writing Process
Jane Anne William Elizabeth
6 step flowchart:
11 step flowchart:
11 step flowchart:
10 step flowchart:
1. Refer to commissioning letter to
identify topics to avoid, sections
needed (10 mins)
2. Finding possible sources, read
quickly to decide whether possible
(1hr-2hrs)
3. Collect likely sources and read
again – topic suitability, suitable for
task types, enough testable
material (1hr)
4. Start cutting to appropriate length,
identifying information to test and
which parts go with which item
types (1hr-2hrs)
5. Work on tasks, amending and
cutting text as needed to fit tasks
(1-2hrs per task type)
6. First draft – check that tasks work,
check for overlap between items,
cut to word limit (1hr)
1. Text sourcing: check in files,
investigate previously fruitful
websites, Google a topic suggested
in commission or that seems
promising (30 mins-1 day)
2. Careful reading (30 mins)
3. Typing up with amendments (1 hr)
4. Length adjustment (to target plus
100-200 words) (15 mins)
5. Work on first (most obvious) task
type (30 mins–2hrs [for MCQ])
6. Mark up further areas of text for
suitable items (30 mins)
7. Work on further tasks – amending
text as necessary (1hr-2hrs)
8. Print off and attempt tasks (30 mins-
1hr)
9. Write answer key (10 mins)
10. Check length and prune if necessary
(10 mins-1hr)
1. Think of subject – look at own
books and articles for inspiration
2. Google possible topics
3. Locate a text and check suitability –
how much needs glossing, any
taboo subjects?
4. Consider whether text will work with
task types
5. Scan or download text
6. Edit text to roughly to required
length (or slightly longer), modifying
to keep coherence
7. Choose and draft first task,
modifying text to fit (abandon task if
necessary)
8. Prepare other tasks
9. Revise text for coherence, length,
to fit tasks, adapting tasks at the
same time as needed
10. Have a break
1. Keep eyes open for texts
2. Choose from available texts
3. Evaluate selected text
4. Summarise main points and edit out
redundant/ inappropriate material
5. Identify possible task types
6. Write items
7. Cut text to required length
8. Tidy up text and items checking
keys
9. Leave for a day, print out and
amend as needed
10. Send off
No timings given
11. Review and proof read (10mins-
30mins)
Found text already in her file (keeps an
eye on potential sources) – looking
for a Section 1 (relatively easy) task
11. Check and revise text and tasks
Timings
Steps 1 and 2: 10 mins-2 hrs; Steps 3 to
9: 1hr-2 hrs; Step 9: 20 mins; Step
10: 10 minutes to 1 week; Step 11:
20 mins
IELTS Research Reports Volume 11 www.ielts.org 22