General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · making arrangements

Letter to an Admissions Tutor Rescheduling an Interview

You have been invited to attend an interview for a place to study a course at a college. Unfortunately, because of a previous appointment, you cannot come at the time they wish.

Write a letter to the admission tutor. In your letter:

explain your position
apologise and offer to come on another day or later the same day
ask also how long the interview will be and whether there will be any tests during it

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Dr. Aris,

Thank you for inviting me to interview for the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Architecture on 14th November. I am very keen to pursue this course at your college; however, I am writing to respectfully request an alternative time as I have a pre-existing professional commitment that morning.

I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this change may cause to your schedule. I remain fully committed to the programme and would be grateful if I could reschedule for the afternoon of the 14th, or perhaps any time on the following day, 15th November. Please let me know if either of these options would be suitable for your panel.

Furthermore, could you please clarify the expected duration of the interview? I would also appreciate knowing whether the selection process involves any written tests or practical assessments, so that I may prepare appropriately.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Thorne

161 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

The response earns a Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with a professional, consistent tone and well-developed, logical arguments. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to ask both required questions about the interview length and the existence of tests, or using an overly casual tone inappropriate for a college tutor.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

pre-existing: something that already exists before a specific time
professional commitment: an obligation related to one's job or career
reschedule: to arrange for something to happen at another time
clarify: to make a statement or situation less confused
duration: the length of time that something continues
appropriately: in a way that is suitable for the situation

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.