How Many Types of Essays are there in IELTS Writing Task 2?

In the IELTS writing task 2, you are given an essay question which must be written in minimum 250 words and for this, you are given 40 minutes time. There are different types of essays asked in the IELTS writing task 2. Let us discuss the different types of IELTS essays in detail:
Discussion and Opinion Based Essay
This is one of the common IELTS writing task 2 essay questions. In this type of essay, you are required to discuss two opinions given in the question statement and also you have to give your personal opinion. For example,
Some people think that using animals for food and transportation should be completely banned. On the other hand, other people believe that using animals for meat and experiments is fair.
Discuss both the views and give your own opinion.  
Agree/Disagree Essay
Another type of IELTS writing task 2 essay is the one where you are given a statement and then you need to explain whether you agree or disagree on it. You can also partially agree and partially disagree on that statement. However, it is better to give strong and clear opinion. For example,
Crime rate has increased with the advancement of technology.
To what extent do you agree or disagree on this statement?
Or
Crime rate has increased with the advancement of technology.
Do you agree or disagree on this view?
Two Parts Essay
In this IELTS writing task 2 essay type, you get question in two parts. There are two different parts of the question which you must answer. For example,
Many children have become habitual about excessively using mobile applications day and night.
Why do you think this is so?
What parents can do to avoid this situation declining further?
Compare and Contrast Essay
Another type of IELTS writing task 2 essay is the one where you are to make comparisons between two objects by listing out similarities and differences between the two. For example,
Some people prefer living in houses as compared to others who believe apartments are better than houses.
Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of living in houses and apartments.
Problems and Solutions Essay
The other type of IELTS writing task 2 essay is the one where you are required to list out problems associated with a particular topic and then you need to suggest solutions to those problems. For example,
Traffic congestion has become one of the major issues in cities.
What are the problems people face due to traffic?
Discuss the possible solutions of overcoming it.
Causes (Reasons) and Solutions Essay
Another type of IELTS writing task 2 essay similar to problems and solutions essay is causes (reasons) and solutions essay which can be explained in three parts of causes, reasons and solutions or two parts of causes and solutions. For example,
Pollution has drastically increased with more and more people switching to personal vehicles.
What are the causes of pollution?
Discuss the solutions to overcome the problem of pollution.
Advantages and Disadvantages Essay
In this type of IELTS writing task 2 essay, you will be writing about advantages and disadvantages of something. You must answer both in order to meet the task requirement. For example,
Online payment is increasingly becoming the most preferred method of payment than cash or other payment methods.
What are the advantages of making online payment?
What are its disadvantages?