Practice the Write for an Academic Discussion task with 15 original prompts, a universal response template with phrase menus, and sample responses at every ETS score level (0-5). Free, no signup required.
Quick answer: The Write for an Academic Discussion task gives you 10 minutes to add your own post to an online class discussion. You will see a professor's question and two student responses, then write your contribution. ETS scores 0 to 5 on three dimensions: relevant and developed ideas, variety in language, and correctness. Aim for 120 to 130 words (ETS requires at least 100). Take a clear position, engage with at least one classmate by name, and support every claim with a specific "why." This page gives you 15 full practice prompts, a universal response template with phrase menus, and sample responses at every score level.
The Write for an Academic Discussion task is one of three writing tasks on the TOEFL iBT 2026 (alongside Build a Sentence and Write an Email). It simulates a university online discussion board. On screen, you see three things in this order:
Your job is to add your own contribution to the discussion. According to ETS, "there's no maximum length for your response, but a good response is usually at least 100 words." Most successful test-takers target 120 to 130 words. You have 10 minutes total, including reading, thinking, and writing.
The task is scored 0 to 5 by the ETS AI scoring engine, which is calibrated and overseen by human raters. Your task-level score is then combined with your Build a Sentence and Write an Email scores to produce your section-level Writing band on the 1.0 to 6.0 scale. You can practice all three Writing tasks with Eppy AI grading at toefl.prepdrills.com.
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Start free →Each prompt below simulates the real task exactly: a professor's post, two student responses, and space for you to write your own reply. Use the 10-minute timer, aim for 120 to 130 words, engage with at least one classmate by name, and support every claim with a specific "why." When you finish, click "See a Score 5 sample response" to compare. For instant AI feedback on your writing, try Eppy at toefl.prepdrills.com.
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Grade your response free →Every effective Academic Discussion response follows the same skeleton. This structure works for any prompt and lets you focus your 10 minutes on ideas, not on formatting decisions. Practice applying this template with Eppy AI feedback for fastest improvement.
The ETS rubric describes "relevant and well-elaborated explanations" and "an accumulation of errors in sentence structure," but these phrases stay abstract until you see them side by side. Below is one prompt with sample responses at Score 5, Score 4, Score 3, Score 2, and Score 1, so you can see exactly what separates each level. For instant scoring on your own responses, try Eppy AI.
Professor's post
A recurring debate in education policy is whether all high school students should be required to complete a foreign language course. Some argue that language study builds cognitive skills and cultural awareness that benefit every student. Others argue that students who do not need or want a second language should be free to focus on subjects they find more useful. Should foreign language study be required for all high school students? Why or why not?
Student 1 (Yusuf)
Yes, absolutely required. Learning another language expands how you think and gives you access to another way of seeing the world. Even students who never use the language professionally benefit from the mental discipline.
Student 2 (Anna)
I disagree. Students who are strong in science or math should focus on those subjects. Forcing everyone to take a language they will forget wastes their limited time in high school. Elective is better than required.
What earns Score 5: relevant and well-elaborated ideas, variety in sentence structure, precise vocabulary, only minor errors.
I agree with Yusuf that foreign language study should be required. While Anna raises a fair point about time constraints, I think she underestimates how much language learning contributes to skills that carry over to other subjects. When students study a second language, they learn to analyze grammar, notice patterns, and think about meaning at a level they rarely reach in their first language. This kind of analytical practice strengthens reading and writing across the curriculum, including in science and math. In my own school, students who studied Spanish consistently performed better in English literature classes as well, likely because the language study made them more attentive to word choice and sentence structure. For these reasons, a required foreign language course is a genuine academic investment, not a distraction.
What earns Score 4: generally well-developed, may lack some detail, one or two minor language errors that do not obscure meaning.
I agree with Yusuf about foreign language being required. Anna makes a point about time, but I think learning another language is worth it. When you study another language, you learn about grammar in a way that helps your first language too. You also get better at paying attention to how sentences are built. Also, understanding another culture is important in today's world where people work across many countries. In my school, most students who took French said their English writing got better too. It made them more careful with words. So even for science students, a language class gives them something they can use. Requiring it makes sure every student gets this benefit, not just the ones who choose it.
What earns Score 3: the response is on topic but ideas are underdeveloped, or grammar issues make ideas harder to follow.
I think languages should be required in high school. Yusuf is right that it helps you think better. Learning language is good because you can talk to more people and travel more. Some students say they will never use it but you never know what will happen in your life. Also many jobs need languages now. Anna says students should focus on science but I think you can do both. Language classes are only a few hours a week so there is still time for other subjects. In my opinion, every student should take at least one language for a few years. This will help them in the future even if they think it is not important now.
What earns Score 2: several errors that obscure meaning, ideas are minimally developed, engagement with the discussion is limited or missing.
I think language is important for study. Yusuf say it is good and I agree. When we learn language we can speak to many people from different country. In my country everyone must learn English at school and it help us for university and job. Some student don't like it but later they see it was good. Language help you to know more about world and culture. Anna think we should focus on science but language and science can be together, they don't compete. Also language make brain more strong. So high school student should learn language because it is useful for their future life and career even if they don't feel it now when they are young.
What earns Score 1: response relies heavily on copied phrasing from the prompt or student posts, with little original language. ETS explicitly flags this as Score 1 territory.
The debate is about whether all high school students should be required to complete a foreign language course. Some argue that language study builds cognitive skills and cultural awareness. Others argue that students should be free to focus on subjects they find more useful. Yusuf says learning another language expands how you think and gives access to another way of seeing the world. Anna says students who are strong in science or math should focus on those subjects. I think foreign language should be required because it builds cognitive skills and cultural awareness that benefit every student.
Critical warning from ETS: the Score 1 response above is a real risk if you feel stuck or run out of time. ETS scores responses that borrow most of their language from the stimulus at 1 or 0, even if the writing looks polished. A short, original attempt (Score 3 or 4) is always better than a longer copied response.
ETS uses one holistic rubric to score Academic Discussion responses from 0 to 5. The rubric evaluates three dimensions together, not separately. For a deeper breakdown, see our TOEFL 2026 Writing guide.
Source: ets.org/toefl official writing rubric for the Write for an Academic Discussion task.
Your Academic Discussion task score (0 to 5) is combined with your Build a Sentence and Write an Email scores, then normalized to your section-level Writing band (1.0 to 6.0 in 0.5 increments). A rough guide:
| Academic Discussion Score | Typical Section Impact | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Contributes to Band 5.5 or 6.0 | Competitive for top universities globally |
| 4 | Contributes to Band 4.5 or 5.0 | Competitive for most graduate programs |
| 3 | Contributes to Band 4.0 | Solid baseline for most universities |
| 2 | Contributes to Band 3.0 or 3.5 | Below competitive threshold for most programs |
| 1 or 0 | Contributes to Band 2.0 or below | Retake recommended |
For a complete breakdown of what each Writing band signals, see our TOEFL 2026 Writing guide and TOEFL 2026 Score guide. You can also track your Writing band progress in the PrepDrills app.
The Write for an Academic Discussion task is one of three tasks on the TOEFL 2026 Writing section. You see a professor's question and two student responses on a simulated online discussion board, then have 10 minutes to write your own contribution. Your response is scored 0 to 5 by the ETS AI scoring engine calibrated by human raters.
ETS requires at least 100 words. Most high-scoring responses target 120 to 130 words. Under 100 words is treated as insufficient development regardless of quality.
ETS scores responses 0 to 5 on three dimensions holistically: relevance and development of ideas, variety in sentence structure and vocabulary, and correct use of language. Your task score contributes to your section-level Writing band (1.0 to 6.0).
Yes. The task explicitly asks you to "add to the discussion." Responses that ignore the two student posts and read as standalone essays score lower. Reference at least one classmate by name and either agree or disagree with a specific point they made.
You must paraphrase, not copy. ETS explicitly scores heavily copied responses at Score 1 or 0, even if the writing looks polished. Original language always beats copied language.
A Score 5 response takes a clear position, engages meaningfully with at least one classmate, develops ideas with specific reasoning and examples, uses varied sentence structure and precise vocabulary, and contains only minor language errors that do not obscure meaning.
The most common difference is elaboration. Score 3 responses state opinions without explaining "why." Score 5 responses back every claim with specific reasoning or a concrete example. Grammar and vocabulary matter too, but underdeveloped ideas are what typically hold a response at Score 3.
A short original response scores higher than a long copied one. If you have only three or four minutes left, write three to four original sentences that take a clear position and give one specific reason. This will typically earn Score 3 rather than Score 1.
The PrepDrills TOEFL app includes Eppy, an AI grader calibrated to the ETS 2026 rubric. Paste your response and get instant feedback on task response, coherence, language use, and vocabulary. Free account, no credit card required.
No. The old Independent Writing task was a longer standalone essay (300+ words) with no discussion context. Academic Discussion is shorter (120 to 130 words), requires engagement with two student posts, and is scored on a different rubric. Any prep material referencing "Independent Writing" is out of date for TOEFL 2026.
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