LanguageCert Academic Writing Part 1: the infographic report, with a sample

LanguageCert describes Writing Part 1 as a 150–200-word academic report or article in response to an infographic, where you express stance, opinion, justification and argument as appropriate. That last part is what catches people. If you have prepared for IELTS, your habit is to describe the chart neutrally. Here, you need to say what you think.

What the task looks like

You see an infographic: a bar chart, a few icons with percentages, a small table. The prompt tells you the audience and the purpose, for example an article for a student magazine, and asks you to describe the main points and give your view or a recommendation.

A four-paragraph structure

1. Opening (1–2 sentences). Say what the infographic shows and give the headline finding.
2. Key data (3–4 sentences). Pick the two or three most important changes or comparisons, with figures.
3. Interpretation (2–3 sentences). What explains the pattern, or why it matters.
4. Stance or recommendation (2 sentences). What you think should happen, linked back to the data.

At 150–200 words, there is no room to mention every number. Choosing well is part of the task.

Sample task and answer

The infographic shows how adults in one Australian city got their news in 2016 and 2026: television 41% → 22%, news websites 27% → 25%, social media 18% → 38%, radio 9% → 8%, printed newspapers 5% → 2%, values in percentage of adults. Write an article for a university magazine. Describe the main changes and say what you think they mean for students.

Where we get our news now

In just ten years, social media has overtaken television as the main source of news for adults in our city. In 2026, 38 per cent named it as their main source, more than double the 18 per cent of 2016. Television fell almost as sharply, from 41 per cent to 22 per cent, while news websites and radio barely changed. Printed newspapers, already marginal, dropped to just 2 per cent.

The shift is not surprising, since most of us now carry a news feed in our pocket. What concerns me is what we lose. A television bulletin or a news website is edited by journalists who check facts. A social media feed is selected by an algorithm that rewards what is shared, not what is accurate.

For students, this matters more than it seems. We are expected to evaluate sources in every essay, yet many of us read the news without asking where it came from. I believe the university should offer a short, practical workshop on checking online information in first year. Learning to read the news critically is now a study skill.

(181 words)

What makes this answer work

• A clear headline finding in the first sentence.
• Selected figures, not all of them. Radio and websites get one phrase.
• A visible stance: "What concerns me", "I believe the university should".
• A link between data and opinion: the recommendation follows from the rise of social media.
• The right register for a magazine article: a title, a direct voice, but no slang.

Common mistakes

• Describing every bar and running out of words before giving an opinion.
• Giving an opinion that has nothing to do with the data.
• Copying the prompt's wording for the opening.
• Writing well over 200 words. Extra length rarely helps and takes time from Part 2.
• Mixing up per cent and percentage points: from 18% to 38% is a rise of 20 percentage points.

Practice checklist

• Can a reader find the main finding in your first sentence?
• Have you quoted at least three figures accurately?
• Is your opinion clearly marked, and does it follow from the data?
• Are you between 150 and 200 words?

Try the free Writing practice: one Part 1 task, marked on task fulfilment, organisation, grammar and vocabulary, with corrections. For Part 2, see the discursive essay guide.