Essay Word Limits
Official word and character limits for application essays and coursework — each with a counter, each checked against the official source.
Checked against official sources on 17 October 2026.
| Essay | Limit | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Common App personal essay | 250–650 words | US undergraduate (Common App), 2026–27 |
| UCAS personal statement | 4,000 characters (3 answers, 350+ each) | UK undergraduate, 2026 entry onwards |
| UC personal insight questions | 4 answers × 350 words | University of California, first-year |
| IB Extended Essay | 4,000 words + 500-word reflection | IB Diploma, first assessment 2027 |
| IB Theory of Knowledge essay | 1,600 words | IB Diploma |
| IELTS Writing | Task 1: 150+ words · Task 2: 250+ words | IELTS Academic and General Training |
Words or characters?
Most limits are in words, but UCAS uses characters including spaces. A character limit punishes long words and rewards concise phrasing; a word limit does not care how long your words are. Our character counter and word counter show both.
Is the limit a maximum or a target?
Application essay limits are maxima, and many systems will not accept text that is over the limit. For coursework, schools differ: some allow 10% either way and some penalise any excess. The IB is strict — extended essay examiners stop reading at 4,000 words. If your brief does not say, ask.
Coursework essays
For essays set by your teacher or lecturer, see our guides to 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000-word essays, and how long an essay should be.