Written Task written task word count

[memo52]

The written task limit is 1000 words, now I reduced my word count t0 1047 words, could there still be a problem now?

Please write a quick response and thanks for your understanding.

[ChocolateDrop]

I would try to stick as close to the word limit as possible because examiner's do penalize marks and stop reading after a certain amount of words, according to this.Why take chances? Do not anger them. You can always try paraphrasing and cut out unnecessary words/ phrases that do not give the text meaning.

[Black Bird Lockheed]

The written task limit is 1000 words, now I reduced my word count t0 1047 words, could there still be a problem now?

Please write a quick response and thanks for your understanding.

Better reduce to 970 words at least otherwise if the word limit is 1000 and you have just reduced to 1047 then you may loose 1 marks. Even if you reduced it to 990 words your chances of reducing marks is high ( all my teachers says so). So reduce it to 950-970.

[dniviE]

@akash jishnu: I think you are all wrong in what you are saying. Adhere to the word limit, but try fullfil it. The word limit is there for a reason and that is for you to not fit too much into your essays. There is no reason for an examinator to read under the word count, thus they will read the full essay. If the essay is too long they aren't required to read further than the word count limit. Required is really the key word here. Basically it means that they can read further than the word count but it doesn't necessarily mean they won't read further than it.

Reducing it below the word count is just bull****. Reduce it to the word count and that's it. Examinators are required to read until the word count.

[Black Bird Lockheed]

@akash jishnu: I think you are all wrong in what you are saying. Adhere to the word limit, but try fullfil it. The word limit is there for a reason and that is for you to not fit too much into your essays. There is no reason for an examinator to read under the word count, thus they will read the full essay. If the esyysay is too long they aren't required to read further than the word count limit. Required is really the key word here. Basically it means that they can read further than the word count but it doesn't necessarily mean they won't read further than it.

Reducing it below the word count is just bull****. Reduce it to the word count and that's it. Examinators are required to read until the word count.

May be you are right, but I am saying based on my experience. The word count of my econ commentary is 750. In first attempt I have submitted by commentary of the word count 763 and we are supposed to write the word count in the front cover. I submitted it to my econ teacher but she refused to even look at my commentary because I exceeded by 12 words. And the second time I submitted the commentary with 744 words and she once again refused to check my commentary stating that this commentary will create a bad impression for the examiners and limit the commentary upto 730.

Even I feel that what you are saying is right but what my school does is different. So I would like to ask you a quuestion

Whenever you submit your IAs or EE and whenever you exceed the word count does your school accepts your assignments? I am asking this because now I am really confused..

Edited April 8, 2013 by akash jishnu

[Gaby]

Why would someone get penalised for being BELOW the limit? o.O If the limit is 1000 and someone has 990, could someone kindly explain what the penalty would be for if, as far as I know, going a few words over the limit is acceptable?

[Black Bird Lockheed]

Why would someone get penalised for being BELOW the limit? o.O If the limit is 1000 and someone has 990, could someone kindly explain what the penalty would be for if, as far as I know, going a few words over the limit is acceptable?

No one would penalize for below word limit but my teachers says that numbers like 990/1000 or 745/750 will create a bad impression on examiners and the probability of losing the marks is more. As far as I know whenever I submit a commentary which is 744/750 my teacher out rightly rejects it.

[alefal]

Why would someone get penalised for being BELOW the limit? o.O If the limit is 1000 and someone has 990, could someone kindly explain what the penalty would be for if, as far as I know, going a few words over the limit is acceptable?

No one would penalize for below word limit but my teachers says that numbers like 990/1000 or 745/750 will create a bad impression on examiners and the probability of losing the marks is more. As far as I know whenever I submit a commentary which is 744/750 my teacher out rightly rejects it.

I don't believe that's true at all. You'll give a bad impression if you write 300 words when the max is 750, but writing 745 words or so I would say is pretty normal. In fact, it would give a better impression than anything else.

The examiners cannot reduce points based on impression anyways, that would be against the IBO's vision and the criteria for any essay. Additionally, you are only penalised if you write more or very much less than the word limit, not if you are very close to it. If your teacher's rejects your essay solely because you wrote 744/750 words, then it is clearly your teachers who are at fault.

Edited April 8, 2013 by alefal

[TykeDragon]

I also have never heard of anyone being penalised for being close to the word limit. In some subjects, the word limit is so tight that often an IA significantly under it may be lacking! For instance, a tok essay less than 1500 out of 1600 words may (but not definitely) lacks depth. The history IA is 2000 words. 2000! That's unbelievably stingy, I could have easily gone up to 3000! As it is, I think I went to 1995. The vast majority of my class was between 1990 and 2000 words - with a few on 2000. Now, I agree that 2000, on the limit, is risky - but only because it may create suspicion that you're lying, and if you were found to be lying it would throw up and out your academic honesty and have other things looked into. So yes, if you were ON the limit, or thought your essay looked too long to be as low as you claim if you're close, they MAY check it, but when they find you were telling the truth, you're fine. Only thing risky about being within a FEW words is that you may have accidentally missed a couple and be pushed over. However, overcompensating for this and being 50-100 words over is just overkill by far, and will only limit your IA - those 50 words could have been used to write something important that just checks that box in the examiner's criteria list...

Too long, didn't read: Only thing risky about being close is that it may be checked/found to be accidentally over. As long as you are honest in your word count and are under it, even by a few words, you are safe and examiners will read all of it.

OP, if your written task is over the limit though, do cut it. They can check; will check if they're suspicious, and will dock your marks. Especially if you lie that you're under the count and are found not to be. That could have knock on effects to your other subjects.