I got another question from a student. They asked:
“I have a question about the independent writing task I hope you can answer. What is the most common type of question that most test takers get in this task? Is it multiple choice? Advantages and Disadvantages? Something else?”
Here’s the answer I gave:
The most common type of independent writing question is the “Agree/Disagree” style, which seems to come up about 50% of the time. This type presents a single-sentence statement and you must state if you agree or disagree with it.
The “paired choice” question comes up about 25% of the time. In this one, you must choose between two opposing or related options. Like whether it is best to study in a group or to study alone. Sometimes this takes the form of a hypothetical situation, like whether it is better for a company to donate to a museum or to donate to a children’s sports team.
The “multiple choice” question comes up about 25% of the time. This is a lot like the paired choice, but with three options (sometimes four or five). It is a bit tricky because with all those options the prompt can take a long time to read.
Finally, in rare cases (or maybe never) you might get a “good idea” prompt, where you are presented with a hypothetical situation, and should state whether you think it is a good idea. For instance, you might be told that a company will forbid employees from answering emails on the weekend.
I must mention that “advantages and disadvantages” questions are not used on the test.