TOEFL iBT® · Writing · 2026
TOEFL Write for an Academic Discussion: how the task works
Write for an Academic Discussion is one of the two longer tasks in the 2026 TOEFL iBT® Writing section. You join an online class forum — a professor's question and two students' replies — and post your own argued position in 10 minutes. Here's the format, an original example, and tips — then try it in a free full-length mock.
The Writing section is the third section of the 2026 test. It contains 12 items in total, takes about 23 minutes, and is linear rather than adaptive — everyone taking a given test form answers the same tasks. This task and Write an Email are scored by AI; the Build a Sentence task is machine-scored.
What the task is
The task is set in an online class discussion forum. A professor's post briefly frames a topic and poses an opinion question. Then two students' brief posts give different positions on that question.
You then contribute your own position on the question, supporting it with your own reasoning, experience, or knowledge. You have 10 minutes, and an effective response contains at least 100 words.
A worked example
This is our own illustration of the format (not an official test prompt or response).
Dr Reyes · Professor
This week we're looking at cities and transport. Some places are starting to make public buses and trains free to use, paid for through general taxes instead of fares. In your view, should city public transport be free for everyone at the point of use? Give one reason for your position.
Mina
I think it should be free. When buses cost nothing to board, more people leave their cars at home, so traffic and air pollution go down. Cities become cleaner and easier to move around.
Tomas
I'm not so sure. "Free" transport is still paid for through taxes, and a network that isn't funded well enough ends up crowded and unreliable. I'd rather pay a small fare and get a service that actually runs on time.
I side with Mina, though Tomas points to the real risk. Making city transport free at the point of use is worth doing, because for many people the barrier is not the fare itself but the hassle of tickets and top-ups; removing it encourages exactly the shift away from private cars that crowded cities need. Tomas is right that funding matters, but that is an argument about how to pay, not whether to. In my own city, a free weekend-bus trial noticeably cut traffic in the centre without the network falling apart, because the money came from higher parking charges rather than from service cuts. A fare-free system backed by steady, ring-fenced funding can be both affordable and reliable, so I would treat good funding as a condition of the policy rather than a reason to reject it.
The contribution takes a clear side, responds to both students by name, and supports the position with a reason and a personal example — in a single, cohesive text of more than 100 words.
How it's scored
- 1 item — the Writing section includes a single Write for an Academic Discussion task.
- AI-scored.
- CEFR B1–C2 — from independent to proficient users.
- 10 minutes to read the thread and write your contribution.
- At least 100 words for an effective response.
- Part of the 12-item, linear Writing section (about 23 minutes), which is the third section. Because the section is linear, everyone taking a form gets the same task.
What it measures
Your contribution is judged on whether it produces a multi-sentence text that:
- stakes out a clear position and builds a case for it, engaging with what the other students said and/or the details in their posts;
- is well supported, clear and cohesive;
- draws on varied grammar and vocabulary, used accurately; and
- gets the mechanics right — spelling, punctuation and capitalisation.
How to prepare
- Take a clear side. The task rewards a stated position, not a neutral summary of the two students — decide, then defend it.
- Engage with the two posts. Agreeing with, disagreeing with or building on what the students said shows you are joining the discussion, not writing in isolation.
- Support with a reason or example. Your own reasoning, experience or knowledge is what turns an opinion into an argument.
- Aim past 100 words. An effective response is at least 100 words, so give yourself room to develop one idea properly rather than listing several.
- Keep it cohesive. A clear line of thought and simple connectors matter more than long words; the reader should be able to follow your argument easily.
- Save a moment to proofread. With 10 minutes, leave time to fix spelling, punctuation and capitalisation before you submit.
Practise Write for an Academic Discussion free
Take a full-length practice mock built to the 2026 TOEFL iBT® format — including Write for an Academic Discussion — and get a predicted 1–6 band. No card required.
Avermond Test Prep is an independent preparation service. TOEFL® is a registered trademark of ETS. This product is not endorsed or approved by ETS. Task descriptions and item counts reflect ETS's published January-2026 TOEFL iBT test specifications and may be subject to minor revision before launch.