IELTS Writing Mistakes by Nationality: Data from 725 Real Test-Takers
Aggregate writing evaluation data from 725 real test-takers across Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines, showing which bands each nationality clusters at, the most common writing mistakes, and what actually moves the score.
This page is built from 725 writing evaluations on Band9Prep across four nationalities: 452 from Nepali candidates, 99 from Indonesian, 87 from Pakistani, and 87 from Filipino. We pulled the actual overall_band, task1_band, task2_band, and task1_weaknesses / task2_weaknesses fields from the database, grouped by country, and looked at where each cohort gets stuck.
The result is a view no other IELTS resource can produce, because no other IELTS resource has the data. Engnovate, E2, Magoosh, and IELTS Liz all give generic advice because they only see what their students self-report. We see what our students actually score.
Quick take: Across 725 attempts, the most common writing outcome is Band 5.0. The most common single writing mistake is a missing overview statement in Task 1. The most common Task 2 mistake is failing to take a clear position. The country with the largest current-to-target gap is Pakistan (3.58 bands). The country with the most balanced profile is the Philippines.
Where Each Nationality Clusters
We grouped all 725 writing attempts by country and overall band. The clusters show where each cohort actually sits, not where they want to be.
Nepal (452 attempts)
| Band | Attempts | % |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 55 | 12.2% |
| 5.5 | 41 | 9.1% |
| 6.0 | 46 | 10.2% |
| 6.5 | 29 | 6.4% |
| 7.0 | 32 | 7.1% |
| 7.5 | 31 | 6.9% |
| 8.0 | 73 | 16.2% |
| 8.5 | 35 | 7.7% |
| 9.0 | 12 | 2.7% |
Nepali writing is bimodal. A meaningful cluster sits at 5.0, and a separate larger cluster sits at 8.0. Average: 6.03. Task 2 essays average 7.39 while Task 1 averages 6.02, the largest internal writing gap of any country in our data.
Indonesia (99 attempts)
| Band | Attempts | % |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 35 | 35.4% |
| 5.5 | 15 | 15.2% |
| 6.0 | 16 | 16.2% |
| 6.5 | 3 | 3.0% |
| 7.0+ | 6 | 6.1% |
Indonesian writing is heavily concentrated at 5.0. One in three attempts lands at exactly that band, the highest stuck-rate at a single band of any country in our data. Average: 5.20. Task 1 and Task 2 are nearly tied (5.27 vs 5.13), so the issue is overall writing fundamentals, not a specific task.
Pakistan (87 attempts)
| Band | Attempts | % |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 16 | 18.4% |
| 5.5 | 12 | 13.8% |
| 6.0 | 13 | 14.9% |
| 6.5 | 3 | 3.4% |
| 7.0+ | 5 | 5.7% |
Pakistani writing clusters at 5.0-5.5. Average: 4.61, the lowest in the dataset. Task 1 averages 4.55, the lowest single skill-country metric we have measured. The current-to-target gap is 3.58 bands, also the largest in the dataset.
Philippines (87 attempts)
| Band | Attempts | % |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0 | 11 | 12.6% |
| 5.5 | 28 | 32.2% |
| 6.0 | 21 | 24.1% |
| 6.5 | 8 | 9.2% |
| 7.0+ | 8 | 9.2% |
Filipino writing clusters at 5.5. The 5.5 cluster is the largest single concentration at a band in the entire dataset. Average: 5.67. Task 1 averages 5.72 and Task 2 averages 5.38, the inverse of the Pakistani pattern.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | Nepal | Indonesia | Pakistan | Philippines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writing attempts | 452 | 99 | 87 | 87 |
| Avg overall writing | 6.03 | 5.20 | 4.61 | 5.67 |
| Avg Task 1 | 6.02 | 5.27 | 4.55 | 5.72 |
| Avg Task 2 | 7.39 | 5.13 | 5.72 | 5.38 |
| Largest single band | 8.0 (16.2%) | 5.0 (35.4%) | 5.0 (18.4%) | 5.5 (32.2%) |
| Target score (avg) | 7.84 | 7.67 | 7.97 | 8.09 |
| Current score (avg) | 4.72 | 5.06 | 4.39 | 5.42 |
| Current-to-target gap | 3.12 | 2.61 | 3.58 | 2.67 |
The numbers tell a clear story. Pakistani candidates are furthest from target and have the lowest Task 1 average. Indonesian candidates are closest to target but stuck at 5.0. Filipino candidates are balanced but stuck at 5.5. Nepali candidates are bimodal: a real cluster at 8.0 alongside a real cluster at 5.0.
The Most Common Writing Mistakes
We pulled the task1_weaknesses and task2_weaknesses arrays from each completed writing evaluation and grouped the patterns. These are the actual weaknesses our AI feedback flagged, not what generic IELTS books say to teach.
Task 1 weaknesses that appear most often across all four countries
- Missing overview or trend statement at the start. Most common in Pakistani and Indonesian attempts. The fix is a one-sentence overview that says what the data shows overall, written before the details.
- Subject-verb agreement errors throughout. Appears in attempts from all four countries. The fix is proofreading, specifically scanning every sentence for verb agreement with the subject.
- Inaccurate description of trends. Candidates use vague terms like "manageable growth" or "the figure went up slowly" when the data shows a sharper pattern. The fix is learning 10-15 precise trend phrases (rose sharply, plateaued, fluctuated, peaked at, etc.) and applying them in every Task 1.
- Paragraph structure that runs together. Candidates write one long paragraph instead of grouping by feature. The fix is the 4-paragraph Task 1 structure: opening paraphrase, overview, key feature 1, key feature 2.
- Underlength responses (under 150 words). Most common in Indonesian attempts. The fix is checking the word count before submission and expanding the body paragraphs with specific data references.
- Inaccurate data reference. Candidates round numbers or paraphrase them incorrectly. The fix is copying key data points (years, percentages, peaks) directly from the chart.
Task 2 weaknesses that appear most often
- Failing to take a clear position on opinion questions. Candidates present both sides equally when the question asks for an opinion. The fix is stating your position in the introduction and restating it in the conclusion.
- Off-topic body paragraphs that do not address the specific question. Most common in Pakistani attempts. The fix is rereading the question before each body paragraph and checking that the paragraph answers it.
- Repeated vocabulary without lexical variety. The fix is studying 30-40 Band 7+ linking phrases and topic-specific vocabulary.
- Grammatical range limited to simple sentences. The fix is practicing complex sentence structures (relative clauses, conditionals, participle phrases, inversion) and applying at least 2-3 per essay.
- No conclusion or weak conclusion that just restates the introduction. The fix is ending with a forward-looking statement or a recommendation that follows from the argument.
What Actually Moves the Band
The data says certain feedback interventions are more effective at moving a 5.0 to a 5.5 than others. These are the patterns we see across multiple attempts per user.
Fastest moves (1-2 attempts)
- Adding an overview statement in Task 1 typically moves a 4.5 to a 5.0.
- Stating a clear position in the introduction of Task 2 typically moves a 5.0 to a 5.5.
- Using 5+ varied trend phrases in Task 1 typically moves a 5.0 to a 5.5.
Medium moves (3-5 attempts)
- Restructuring Task 1 into 4 clear paragraphs typically moves a 5.5 to a 6.0.
- Adding 2-3 complex sentence structures per Task 2 essay typically moves a 5.5 to a 6.0.
- Including 4+ specific data references in Task 1 typically moves a 5.5 to a 6.0.
Slower moves (6+ attempts)
- Lifting Lexical Resource to a consistent 7+ requires a working vocabulary of 150-200 topic-specific phrases and regular practice. This is what separates 6.0 from 7.0.
- Lifting Grammatical Range and Accuracy to 7+ requires consistent production of complex structures across multiple attempts. This is the slowest band to move.
Why This Data Exists and What It Means
We do not publish this page to make a marketing claim. We publish it because it is what our own team looks at when we think about what to teach. A candidate from Nepal who reads the "Nepal" section of this page will see that listening is the broken skill, and that Task 1 chart description is the writing-internal weak point. That is more useful than any generic IELTS advice.
Engnovate, E2, Magoosh, IELTS Liz, and the rest of the field cannot produce this page. They do not have the per-user, per-attempt, per-criterion data. We do. This is the moat.
If you are a Nepali candidate reading this: 12.2% of attempts score exactly Band 5.0, and 16.2% score Band 8.0. The candidates who score 8.0 are not smarter. They got targeted feedback on the right things. That is what the data says, and that is what we built the platform to deliver.
FAQ
Where do most test-takers get stuck on IELTS writing?
Across 725 writing evaluations from Nepali, Indonesian, Pakistani, and Filipino test-takers, Band 5.0 is the largest single cluster for Indonesian candidates (35.4% of attempts), Pakistani candidates (18.4%), and Nepali candidates (12.2%). Filipino candidates cluster at 5.5 instead of 5.0 (32.2% of attempts). The 5.0 wall is the single most common sticking point in our data.
Which nationality scores highest on IELTS writing on average?
Based on aggregate data: Nepal averages 6.03, Philippines averages 5.67, Indonesia averages 5.20, and Pakistan averages 4.61. Nepal also has the largest concentration of high scores, with 73 attempts at Band 8.0 and 35 attempts at Band 8.5.
What is the most common Task 1 writing mistake?
Across the dataset, the most common Task 1 weaknesses are: missing overview or trend statement at the start, subject-verb agreement errors, inaccurate description of trends, and paragraph structure that runs together without clear feature grouping. Indonesian candidates additionally struggle with underlength responses (below 150 words).
Related Resources
- IELTS Preparation in Nepal
- IELTS Preparation in Pakistan
- IELTS Preparation in the Philippines
- IELTS Preparation in Indonesia
- IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic Guide
- IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structure
- Free IELTS Mock Tests
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