Source: Adapted from publicly available forum Q&A on https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/. This is an original, condensed summary — not a copy of their site.
None of this is about technique — it's about the small physical/formatting anxieties that genuinely derail candidates mid-exam on the paper-based test. These are real questions test-takers have asked, with the practical answer to each. If you're taking the computer-delivered test, most of this doesn't apply to you.
| Worry | Straight answer |
|---|---|
| Can I write in block capitals the whole time? | Yes, nothing in the marking penalizes it — but it's slower to write, so it's not recommended. |
| Does my essay need a title? | No. Just start writing your paragraphs. |
| Do I have to leave a blank line between paragraphs? | Not required for scoring, but strongly recommended. What matters is that the examiner can see a new paragraph has started. If your last paragraph runs to the end of a line and the next one isn't indented or spaced, it may not read as a new paragraph — and unclear or missing paragraphing can drop your Coherence and Cohesion score to a band 4–5. A blank line or a clear indent removes all doubt. |
| Do I need margins or double-spacing? | No. Write on every line. |
| Can I cross out or erase words/paragraphs? | Yes, freely. The examiner simply ignores anything crossed out. A visible gap from an erased word isn't penalized either. Don't overdo it to the point the page looks chaotic, but a crossed-out paragraph you decide to redo is completely fine. |
| Can I use American spelling instead of British? | Yes — either is accepted, per the British Council's own guidance. Just be consistent; don't mix "colour" and "color" in the same essay. |
| Can I write a first draft, then copy it out neatly? | No — there isn't time. You get 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 for Task 2, and that has to cover reading the question, brainstorming, planning, and writing. Spend your prep time on a short plan (on the question sheet itself), not a full draft. |
| Can I make rough notes? | Yes, on the question paper — you're not given separate scratch paper. The question paper isn't seen by the examiner, so anything you jot there is fine and stays private. |
| Can I get extra paper if I run out? | Yes, it's provided on request if your essay runs longer than the sheets you're given. |
| I wrote Task 1 and Task 2 on the wrong answer sheets — am I penalized? | No. This happens occasionally; the sheets get relabeled/reordered before marking so the examiner reads the right one against the right task. It will still be marked normally. |
| I left a stray plan, a guideline number, or scratch marks on my actual answer sheet — will that count against me or be read as part of the essay? | No, these get ignored. That said, try to keep any planning off the final answer sheet where you can — a plan clearly separated from your essay is safest. |
The one item on this list that genuinely matters for your score: paragraphing that isn't visually clear. Everything else here — capitals, spacing, spelling variant, crossing out, wrong sheet — is a non-issue. Don't spend exam-day anxiety on any of them. Spend it on making sure a reader can instantly tell where each paragraph starts and ends.