General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · application

Letter to college regarding short course application

You are interested in studying a short course at a college in an English speaking country.

Write a letter to the college. In your letter:

which course you are interested in and why?
describe your educational background and work experience?
and say why you would like to study at that college?

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Admissions Team,

I am writing to express my strong interest in enrolling in the upcoming three-week Intensive Digital Marketing short course offered by your institution this summer. Having followed your college’s reputation for excellence in vocational training, I am eager to enhance my professional skill set through your practical curriculum.

Regarding my background, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Melbourne. Over the past four years, I have been employed as a social media coordinator at a boutique advertising agency. My role has involved managing multi-platform campaigns, which has provided me with a solid foundation, yet I now seek advanced technical insights to transition into a senior strategy position.

I am particularly drawn to your college because of its industry-led approach and the opportunity to network with international professionals. Your faculty’s emphasis on real-world case studies aligns perfectly with my learning objectives. I am confident that the diverse perspective at your campus will be invaluable for my career progression.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding the application process and any prerequisites required for international students.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

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

Why this scores well

The response achieves Band 8 by addressing all bullet points with sophisticated, cohesive language and a consistently formal tone. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to connect the educational background and work experience to the specific course goals, resulting in an unfocused narrative.

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

vocational: Relating to an occupation or employment-related skills training.
boutique: A small, specialized company or business entity.
foundation: The underlying basis or principles of a subject.
strategy: A plan of action designed to achieve goals.
industry-led: Guided or influenced by current professional market standards.
prerequisites: Requirements that must be met before something else.

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.