TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing (Task 2) – Practice Test #024

This TOEFL Writing Task 2 (Academic Discussion) practice test offers a realistic experience with a genuine prompt featuring a professor’s question and responses from two classmates. Follow the instructions closely to simulate the exam conditions. After writing your response, you can submit it for feedback or choose to order a written assessment or video call session to review your writing in detail.

TOEFL Academic Discussion Task Detailed Instructions

Read the Prompt Carefully: Pay close attention to the professor’s question and understand the topic being discussed. What are the two positions presented on the issue? In some cases, the two sides may disagree on the nature or cause of the problem itself. In other cases, they might agree on the problem but propose different solutions or approaches to address it. This will guide your response and ensure that you stay on topic.
Consider Different Perspectives: Reflect on the responses from the two classmates provided in the prompt. Think about how their viewpoints relate to the professor’s question and how you can add to the discussion.
Express Your Opinion: Clearly state your opinion on the topic. Make sure to support your viewpoint with relevant reasoning, examples, or personal experiences to strengthen your argument.
Make a Unique Contribution: Go beyond summarizing the responses of the classmates. This is the main difference between the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task 1 and the new Academic Discussion task. In the older task, you were expected to remain completely unbiased and objective, simply reporting what you read and heard. In contrast, the new task asks you to participate in the discussion by offering your own opinion. Try to contribute something original to the conversation. You can share a new idea, extend one of the points made, or provide a relevant example. This demonstrates your ability to think critically and engage thoughtfully with the topic.
Organize Your Response: Structure your post with a clear introduction, body paragraph(s), and a conclusion. This will help your ideas flow logically and enhance the readability of your response.
Stay Within the Word Limit: Ensure your response contains at least 100 words. This helps you develop your ideas in enough detail to meet the expectations of the task. While 100 words is the minimum, it is often not sufficient to fully explain your position, provide examples, and respond meaningfully to the other students’ comments. Do not feel limited by the word count. Aim to express your opinion clearly and support it with relevant reasoning or personal experience. Personally, I usually end up writing around 200 words when responding to this task, as that length allows me to build a well-structured and thoughtful response without running out of time.
Submit your writing: Use the form below to privately submit your writing for review, or post it publicly in the comment section at the bottom of the page. Posting publicly encourages an organic “Academic Discussion,” allowing other site visitors to join in, respond to your ideas, and share their own perspectives.
Feedback (optional): Order detailed written analysis or a video session to review your response using the official TOEFL writing criteria and identify specific areas for improvement.

Individual vs. Group Assignments

Academic Discussion

Professor: “In our education psychology class, we’ve been discussing learning methods. Some educators believe individual assignments better develop student skills, while others argue that group projects better prepare students for workplace collaboration. In your opinion, which approach is more effective for student learning? Why?”

Vahid: “Individual assignments allow students to develop self-reliance and work at their own pace. When working alone, students cannot rely on others to complete their portion of the work, which ensures they master all required skills. This approach also eliminates the unfairness that occurs when some group members contribute more than others.”

Angel: “Group projects better prepare students for real-world work environments where collaboration is essential. Working in teams teaches communication, conflict resolution, and leadership skills that individual assignments cannot. Additionally, exposure to diverse perspectives within a group enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.”

Your Response

Sample Response #1 (High-Level Response)

Both individual and group assignments serve important educational purposes, but their effectiveness depends on specific learning objectives. Vahid correctly identifies that individual work fosters self-reliance and ensures each student masters required skills. This approach is particularly valuable for developing technical proficiency and foundational knowledge where clear individual assessment is necessary.

However, Angel makes a compelling point about workplace preparation. Modern professional environments increasingly value collaboration, with complex projects requiring diverse expertise. Group assignments provide a structured environment for developing the communication and negotiation skills essential in professional settings. The challenge of uneven contribution that Vahid mentions can actually become a learning opportunity if instructors implement accountability measures like peer evaluations and individual reflection components.

The most effective educational approach strategically incorporates both methods—using individual assignments for skill mastery and group projects for collaborative competencies—thereby preparing students for the full spectrum of workplace scenarios.

Sample Response #1 - Examiner Comments

This writer has produced an excellent response that demonstrates strong facility in language use. The writer thoughtfully analyzes both perspectives, showing sophisticated understanding of the advantages of both individual and group assignments in different contexts. The response is particularly effective in reframing Vahid’s concern about uneven contributions as a potential “learning opportunity,” demonstrating nuanced thinking. The vocabulary is precise and academic (“technical proficiency,” “foundational knowledge,” “negotiation skills,” “accountability measures”), and the writer employs complex sentence structures successfully. The organization is logical, moving from analysis of individual approaches through group methods to a synthesized conclusion. There are no noticeable grammatical errors despite timed conditions. The writer demonstrates the ability to engage with complex ideas and present them clearly.

Sample Response #2 (Mid-Level Response)

I think both individual and group assignments are important but group projects are more effective overall. When students work in groups, they learn teamwork skills that they will need in future jobs. Almost all companies require employees to work in teams now.

Vahid says individual assignments make students learn all the skills themselves. This is true but sometimes boring. Also, some students feel too much pressure when working alone. Group projects let students share ideas and learn from each other.

One problem with group work is that some students don’t do their fair share of work. Teachers should check that everyone in group contributes equally. This would solve the problem Vahid mentioned about unfairness.
In conclusion, group assignments better prepare students for real jobs, so they are more effective.

Sample Response #2 - Examiner Comments

This response addresses the task with adequate clarity though limited sophistication. The writer takes a position favoring group assignments while acknowledging some benefits of individual work. The response demonstrates basic organization with a clear position, supporting points, and conclusion. However, development is somewhat limited, with generalizations like “sometimes boring” and “too much pressure” lacking specific examples or deeper analysis. There are noticeable grammatical errors, particularly with articles (“work in teams,” “check that everyone in group”). The writer attempts to address counterarguments but does so somewhat superficially. Overall, the response demonstrates adequate but inconsistent control of language structures and limited development of ideas compared to higher-level responses.

TOEFL Writing Task 2 Academic Discussion Practice Tests [With Sample Responses & Examiner Comments]

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