# Essay Writing

In the **Essay Writing** question type, test-takers write an essay in response to an argument or problem. They present their viewpoint, support it with reasons and examples, and conclude with their stance or solution.

The scoring system then automatically assesses the test taker's writing and provides a **vocabulary, grammar, cohesion** and **task achievement** score aligned to IELTS standards. 

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**: To get a reasonable scores test taker must write between 250-300 words.
{% endhint %}

## Getting started

To get started, do the following:

* Choose "Essay Writing" from the list of question types to display the associated configuration panel.
* Type the instructions for the test taker either in the **Question** field on the left or the **Task Description** field on the right in the configuration panel, as shown in the image below.

<figure><img src="/files/Phmnz1nH9AV7TSYFVjBk" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Configuration panel <a href="#configuration-panel" id="configuration-panel"></a>

The configuration panel for the **Essay Writing** question type is composed of only one element:

#### Task Description <a href="#task-description" id="task-description"></a>

In this field, you provide the instructions or question for the test-taker. When you use the [relevance setting](https://speaking-test-docs.speechace.com/speechace-speaking-test/speechace-workspaces-create-manage-and-share-speaking-assessments/creating-assessments/score-settings#evaluate-relevance-of-answer), the Speechace AI uses the text in this field to assess whether the test-taker’s response is relevant to the question. **Some examples of Essay Writing questions:**

1. Some people think that the education system should focus more on practical skills rather than academic knowledge. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Provide reasons for your answer.
2. In many countries, the proportion of older people is steadily increasing. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

You can preview how the question will appear to the test taker by clicking the eye icon in the configuration panel, highlighted in the image below.

<figure><img src="/files/rZUspJRFmZlS4agTW4vW" alt="" width="331"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### What the test taker sees <a href="#what-the-test-taker-sees" id="what-the-test-taker-sees"></a>

The test-taker will see the question on the left side of the screen and a writing area on the right to type their response, as shown in the image below. They will have preparation time before the response time starts to submit their answer.

<figure><img src="/files/CTRxzqpEHWNDM9zxyalS" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://speaking-test-docs.speechace.com/speechace-speaking-test/speechace-workspaces-create-manage-and-share-speaking-assessments/creating-assessments/create-new-custom-assessments/custom-assessment-configurations/types-of-questions/writing/essay-writing.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.