12 Recently Reported IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions (2026) — With Band 9 Sample Answers
Every year, thousands of IELTS candidates leave the exam room and share the exact question they were asked. When the same topics keep reappearing, it becomes possible to study real questions instead of guessing. Below are 12 Writing Task 2 questions genuinely reported by test-takers between June and September 2026, the exact question type each one belongs to, and where you can read a full Band 9 model answer for every single one.
Why "Recently Reported" Questions Matter More Than a Generic Topic List
Most Task 2 practice books give you invented questions that sound like the real exam but aren't. The 12 questions in this post are different — they were reported word-for-word by candidates who sat the test in 2026. That matters for two reasons.
First, IELTS reuses topics far more than it reuses exact wording. If a topic such as "government funding for the arts" or "long working hours" has appeared recently, it is likely to appear again in a slightly different form. Practising with real, recent questions gives you a much better sense of what today's exam actually asks than a topic list written years ago.
Second, recently reported questions show you the exact phrasing examiners currently favour — phrases like "to what extent do you agree or disagree" or "what are the causes of this problem, and what are its effects." Learning to recognise this phrasing quickly is one of the simplest ways to save time in the exam, because it tells you immediately which type of essay to write.
The 12 Questions Reported Between June and September 2026
These are the exact questions, grouped by the month they were reported. Each one is an Academic Writing Task 2 question.
June 2026
- Health: These days, if people have health problems, many do not visit doctors. They try to get better at home by themselves. Is this a positive or negative development?
- Education and culture: The study of ancient culture is not a relevant subject in modern education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Transport and law: In every country, there are driving laws to ensure road safety. Some people, however, still break these laws, such as by speeding or using mobile phones while driving. What are the reasons for this? What measures could help solve this problem?
July 2026
- Arts and government: Some people think the government should support artists like painters, musicians, and poets, while others believe this wastes money that should go to healthcare and education. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
- Technology: Earlier technological developments brought more benefits and changed the lives of ordinary people more than recent developments ever will. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Family and parenting: Some parents give their children everything they ask for or allow them to do whatever they want. What are the consequences for these children when they grow up?
August 2026
- Education: Some people think that it is more effective for students to study in a group, while others believe that they should study alone. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
- Transport and business: Some people believe that cheap, fast transportation is required for successful international business, while others believe that good technology is more important. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Education and government: Educating adults who cannot read or write is more important than prioritizing general higher education; governments should invest more in adult literacy. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
September 2026
- Work and society: In many countries around the world, people work very long hours. What are the causes of this problem, and what are its effects on individuals and society?
- Crime and justice: Some people argue that strict punishment is the best way to prevent crime, while others believe that addressing social and economic factors is more effective. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Environment: Many people say that globalisation and the growing number of multinational companies have a negative effect on the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The 6 Types of IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions
Every Task 2 question, including all 12 above, belongs to one of six types. Knowing these six types well means you never waste time in the exam wondering how to structure your essay.
- Opinion (agree or disagree): You are given one statement and asked how far you agree with it. You pick a side — or a mostly-one-side, partly-the-other position — and support it all the way through.
- Discussion (discuss both views): You are given two opposing views and asked to discuss both before giving your own opinion. Both views need a real paragraph each, not just a sentence.
- Problem and solution: You are asked to explain why a problem happens and suggest ways to fix it.
- Two-part question: You are asked two separate questions about the same topic, most often "what are the causes" and "what are the effects." Unlike problem-and-solution, there is no fix being asked for — just two angles on the same trend.
- Positive or negative development: You are asked to judge whether a change or trend is, overall, good or bad for people or society.
- Advantages and disadvantages: You are asked to weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of something, sometimes along with your own opinion on which outweighs the other.
Spotting the type in the first thirty seconds of reading the question is what keeps your essay properly on-task — one of the four criteria examiners score you on.
How to Structure a Band 9 Essay for Any of These Questions
The same basic structure works for every question type above. Keep it simple and consistent rather than reinventing it each time.
- Introduction (3 parts): Rephrase the topic in your own words, state your thesis or position clearly, and briefly outline what your essay will cover.
- Body paragraphs (one idea each): Give each paragraph exactly one main idea, then explain it, then support it with a specific example. Trying to fit two ideas into one paragraph usually makes both weaker.
- Conclusion (3 parts): Restate your position in different words, briefly summarise your main points, and finish with one final thought — a recommendation, a prediction, or a broader implication.
This structure alone won't guarantee a high band score, but it gives an examiner a clear, easy-to-follow essay to mark — which matters more than most candidates realise.
Full Band 9 Model Essays for All 12 Questions
Every question above now has a complete Band 9 model essay in our [Essay Bank](/essay-bank), along with three key vocabulary items and examiner notes across all four marking criteria — Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
If you would rather write your own attempt first, every essay bank page also has a write your own attempt box where you can draft your response and save it, ready to compare against the model answer whenever you are ready.
Where These Questions Come From
These 12 questions were compiled from candidate reports of the actual IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 test between June and September 2026. IELTS does not publish an official list of upcoming questions, so tracking genuinely reported questions is the closest thing to a reliable early signal of current exam topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these the exact questions that will appear on my test?
Not necessarily the exact wording, but the same topics and question types reappear often. Practising with these 12 real, recently reported questions is far more useful than practising with invented ones, because it shows you what today's examiners are actually asking.
How many question types does IELTS Writing Task 2 use?
Six: opinion (agree or disagree), discussion (discuss both views), problem and solution, two-part question, positive or negative development, and advantages and disadvantages. Every Task 2 question you will ever see fits one of these six patterns.
Do I need to memorise model essays word for word?
No — memorised essays are easy for examiners to spot and are penalised. Instead, study the structure, the key vocabulary, and the reasoning in each model essay, then practise applying the same approach to a new question in your own words.
Where can I read the full model essays for these 12 questions?
All 12 are published with complete Band 9 model answers in our Essay Bank, filterable by question type and task. You can also save your own attempt at any prompt directly on the page for later reference.
