Drafting research reports for a Ph.D. thesis or a publication pose challenges to many researchers. This study assesses the writing skills of 56 Ph.D. research scholars from three leading engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, India, using a standardised test scale (CEFR). It also presents the perceptions of 48 supervisors on the writing skills of the research scholars and the difficulties faced by them. The data has been analysed quantitatively. Finally, the study proposes recommendations for improving the writing skills of Ph.D. scholars
