Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 1 (Academic) (Udemy.com)
Complete preparation to achieve the band score you need (Band 6 to Band 8) in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.
Created by: The IELTS Teacher
Last updated May 2026
Our take
Based on the ratings of 4,292 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in May 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.
This is a 5.3 hour, 31 lecture course on the Academic version of IELTS Writing Task 1, the graph, chart, map and process report. It is taught by The IELTS Teacher, an online tutoring service, and the sections follow the four marking criteria: task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar. It aims at Band 7, though it says Band 6 and Band 8 students will get something too. The listing asks for at least B1 English and warns that anyone whose last score was 5 or lower may struggle.
Reviewers like the step-by-step structure and the clear, direct teaching. Two say the writing section felt less scary afterward, and one reports a 7.0 overall with a 6.5 in writing. The recurring complaint is a lack of worked examples. One 4-star reviewer calls it mostly theory and suggests pairing it with the teacher's separate Task 1 answers course. A 3-star reviewer wanted more writing patterns, and a 2-star one found it no better than an ordinary YouTube video. Low ratings are rare, though: 66 of 4,292 are one or two stars.
With 22,590 students and a 4.8 rating, it has a solid track record, and the May 2026 update means it is current. Five quizzes help, but there are no practice tests or assignments, so expect to write your own answers and get them marked elsewhere. It is good value as a first pass on method. It is a weaker pick if model answers are what you mainly want.
Pros
- Step-by-step method that reviewers find clear and easy to follow
- Sections follow the four IELTS marking criteria, so each lecture ties to the score
- Updated in May 2026, with 22,590 students and a 4.8 rating from 4,292 reviews
- Only 5.3 hours, so it is easy to finish and easy to revisit before the exam
Cons
- Light on worked examples, so some reviewers pair it with the teacher's separate answers course
- No practice tests or assignments, so nobody marks your own writing
- Academic only, and learners who scored 5 or lower on IELTS may find it unhelpful
I was looking for a course which can guide me step by step, and this one is perfect!
Listed for all levels, but it asks for B1 English and really suits Band 6 to 8 Academic candidates.
What you will learn
- Create coherent, organised responses to a variety of different question types
- Select appropriate data accurately and quickly for your response
- Create a variety of complex grammatical constructions with flexibility and accuracy
- Learn the precise process for writing a high-scoring response in IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic
- Use a range of vocabulary appropriately and with precision for a variety of questions
Course content
7 sections · 31 lectures · 5.3 hours of video 5 quizzes, 1 article
- 1General Overview 2 free previews4 lectures · 29 min
- 2Approaching the Response 1 free preview4 lectures · 1 quiz · 31 min
- 3Answering the Question (Task Achievement)3 lectures · 1 quiz · 22 min
- 4Structuring the Response (Coherence and Cohesion)4 lectures · 1 quiz · 48 min
- 5Writing the Response (Lexical Resource - Vocabulary)5 lectures · 1 quiz · 44 min
- 6Tuning the Response (Grammatical Range and Accuracy)4 lectures · 1 quiz · 33 min
- 7Conclusion7 lectures · 1.9 hours
Who it is for
The instructor says it suits
- Students who want to learn how to get a high score (Band 7+) in Task 1 of the IELTS Writing test, Academic module
- Although this course is aimed at those who need a Band 7 and above in Task 1 Academic, it will also help those trying to get a 6 or 6.5
- This course is NOT appropriate for students who need help in IELTS Writing Task 1 General Training, Writing Task 2, Listening, Reading or Speaking
- This course is NOT appropriate for students who do not already have a fairly good level of English. If your most recent IELTS score was 5 or lower, then this course may not be helpful for you
What you need before you start
- You should have a minimum level of English of B1, otherwise the content may be too challenging
- You do not need to know about the IELTS exam before you begin as this will be covered in Section 1
- You should come to the course with an open mind and a willingness to work hard!
How it compares
Against the other 535 rated Udemy courses in Language Learning on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.8 out of 5higher than 82% of them
- Reviews4,292#68 of 536 by number of reviews
- Length5.3 hoursshorter than 50% of them
- Last updatedMay 2026more recently than 79% of them
Course Description
Over 1,500 5-Star Reviews
"The best course ever! I jumped from 6.0 to 7.5 in writing in only one month with this course." - Jaime Dantas
-
Should I take this course?
Are you struggling to achieve a Band 7 or above score in IELTS Writing Task 1?
Do you get nervous when faced with line graphs, pie charts, bar charts or tables?
Are you unsure of how to write about detailed maps and complex processes?
If so, this course is for you.
My previous course - Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 2 - has the highest number of 5-star ratings of any IELTS Writing course on Udemy (6,000+). It has been enrolled upon by over 50,000 students from 150+ different countries, and is statistically 6 times more engaging than the average IELTS course.
Now, I am bringing you Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 1.
This course contains the same high-quality tuition, the same crisp, clean, accessible presentation, and the same invaluable expertise acquired through thousands of hours of IELTS tuition which is offered in my Task 2 course.
Why waste time and money on outdated course books, inexperienced teachers and failed exams? Learn the tips, tricks, secrets and techniques required to succeed in IELTS Writing Task 1, and take control of your IELTS future today!
This is the IELTS Band 7+ complete prep course for IELTS Writing Task 1.
And if you're not completely satisfied, you can claim a full refund within 30 days!
Please note that this course is not appropriate for students studying for IELTS Speaking, IELTS Reading, IELTS Listening or for students of the TOEFL exam.
How will this course help me?
This course will teach you how to write what the IELTS examiners want to read in IELTS Writing Task 1. It is aimed at students who are trying to achieve Band 7, but will also be extremely valuable for any students aiming for Band 6 or Band 8. Even Band 9 students will learn something new here!
You might think that the IELTS examiners only care about a wide range of vocabulary, correct spelling and accurate grammar. This is wrong. These are all important, but there is so much more you can do to boost your score.
Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 1 tells you exactly what you need to know to succeed in this English language exam.
During this course, you will:
understand how the IELTS exam, and the writing test in particular, is structured and how it should be approached
learn how to write an answer to any Writing Task 1 question after learning how to recognise different question types
learn how to manage your time wisely, how to plan your response effectively, and how to structure your writing appropriately
learn how to identify key trends, select important data and achieve a high level of statistical accuracy
find out how to increase your range of vocabulary related to graphs, charts, processes and maps quickly and effectively
study the steps you need to take in order to achieve grammatical range and accuracy
learn many of the 'secrets of success' that will help you to get the best score possible
discover many of the most common mistakes made in this part of the eaxm
begin to feel confident, assured and increasingly prepared for the writing test in your next IELTS exam
Instructor Details
- 4.8 Rating
4,292 Reviews
The IELTS Teacher
The IELTS Teacher is an online IELTS tutoring service, which was established in 2013 with the aim of offering IELTS preparation to those who could not reach a native-speaker teacher. The IELTS Teacher's Udemy courses are comprehensive courses which take the tips, techniques and skills which have been most effective at helping The IELTS Teacher's students to achieve their IELTS target scores. They are some of the most popular and well-respected IELTS courses on Udemy.
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Reviews
By Hugh Nguyen on 10/26/2023
The teaching is helpful and practical. What I need to do is to apply all the knowledge to my writing. If so, I can definitely get a 7+ in task 1. However, to utilize the course, you should combine it with the teacher's "Task 1 Answers" course because it lacks examples. This course is mainly about theories, and the other one is about practices.
By Adhitya Prakash Singh on 1/6/2022
Thanks to this course...It helped me a lot in the "Writing Section"...Overall I scored Band 7.0 . and 6.5 in writing. Definitely you should go through the material provided in this course. It could be helpful for you too. This course gave me the confidence to venture into the writing section as I used to found this section really frightening and would skip while practicing. Though your prior knowledge of the language matters a lot. Anyway it'll help you. Go for it.
By Fareeda Begum on 5/25/2021
Matt is a wonderful teacher. He navigates you through the course with utmost ease yet making a point. Using nouns, verbs, abbreviages, complex sentences etc., at right places without putting an extra effort is appreciable. I've recommended and would recommend students and college goers interested to rectify their mistakes in writing through this course. Highly recommended for IELTS preparation. Thanks, Fareeda.
By Kirstin Ramos on 11/20/2020
I am a first timer in studying anything related to IELTS, this course explained to me how the exam is graded and how you can achieve a band 7 clearly. Aside from that, there are bonus live classes every month and some model answers included in the course. The things that I've said are more than enough to start up your journey into studying your IELTS exam. Thanks to the IELTS teacher, I really admire the structure of this course.
By Mohd Rehan on 5/24/2020
initially as the course begins i was confuse of the content that was presented in this course but i was more of a confident towards this task 1, but as the course proceeds i realized that task 1 is not that easy as i had though previously. however i got to realized that with the careful teaching and course module the task 1 could be tackle with more a confident manner. and the end with i know that the task 1 is easy to crack only with the points which i learned in this course module. the carefully selecting and dissecting each of the requirements for task 1 is what makes it a great course. by now i got to know what things i have to avoid and mention in order to have band 7 at least.
By José Irizar on 5/11/2020
I've found it very interesting. Although it's not my intention to present for the exam, the course has been very profitable and I feel more confident after it. There are many remarkable aspects but I would like to highlight one, the hight level of speaking of the teacher, It makes easier to follow the lessons.
By Burcu Seven on 3/8/2020
The lectures were amazing and really helpful. I haven't got the IELTS yet but i'm quite sure i'll listen some lectures over and over again during my preperation because there're a lot we might be missing between the lines. I can feel the difference in my writing, speaking and understanding skills even from now. This course is really helpful for anyone who wants to improve their English in an academic way. Thank you so much!
By Elis Khatizah on 2/9/2020
Matt, thank you for this most helpful lesson, I got 6.5 for writing in my IELTS test last month (July 2020)... It's great, because I've never taken the test before and I've learned your courses, both writing-task-1 and writing-task-2 only in two months. I think...the result might be better if I spent more time. Thank you so much.
By Edgar Vega on 1/2/2019
This is such an amazing course that really helps me to understand task 1. Before this course, I do not know anything about the band descriptors, coherence, accuracy and key factors. Now, I've discovered that you must write following a plan to obtain 7 or more. I really think there will be a lot of students who get high grades in their IELTS test after taking this course.
By Luciano Zanchet on 8/3/2018
The course not only seems well structured but gives you all the tools and resources for performing well at the test. The instructor seems to know the stuff and presents the syllabus in a coherent and well paced fashion. Overall I would recommend to simply doing both Matt's courses and not bothered with anything else. It is a well worth subject for the quid spent.
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 96 / 100












