IELTS Writing Task 2 Challenges Inventory: Reliability and Validity Assessments

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, especially Chinese undergraduates preparing for IELTS, face notable challenges in Writing Task 2, which demands advanced critical thinking and alignment with IELTS band descriptors (Task Response, Coherence/Cohesion, Lexical Resources, Grammatical Range/Accuracy), and this study aimed to validate the IELTS Writing Task 2 Challenges Inventory (IWTCI) by assessing its reliability and validity via a quantitative survey of 121 Chinese EFL students with IELTS training/testing experience who completed a 20-item Likert-scale questionnaire mapped to the four criteria. Psychometric analyses showed strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha: 0.815–0.890 for subscales, 0.890 overall) and suitable factorability (KMO ≥ 0.734, Bartlett’s p < 0.001), with descriptive statistics revealing lower mean scores in Lexical Resources (M = 1.34–1.95) and Coherence/Cohesion (M = 1.58–2.12) as primary challenges; the IWTCI was confirmed as a reliable and valid tool for identifying specific writing difficulties, highlighting the need for targeted instruction in lexical diversity and cohesive device use, and future research should expand samples and integrate qualitative methods to support evidence-based strategies for improving EFL learners’ IELTS performance.