Writing Anxiety: Why do IELTS Test Takers Fail to Obtain their Desired Band Scores?

Numerous individuals with varied backgrounds (doctors, engineers, IT professionals) either want to study in an English-speaking country or want to immigrate there. Hence they have to attempt an English proficiency test –IELTS –that requires good proficiency in writing, alongside listening, reading, and speaking. However writing has been an uphill task leading the test-takers to multiple retakes. Therefore this study is conducted to investigate the level and kind of anxiety associated with writing. The contributors to this study are 38 IELTS aspirants who have been training for IELTS through self-study and a well-known institute in Karachi, Pakistan. Responses were accumulated through Google Forms, they were translated into pie charts and ultimately presented to readers. The outcomes demonstrate that practices of learners and teachers in this context are aligned with the set standards but with minor faults. Findings of this study are essential for the IELTS aspirants as well as IELTS instructors.