AbstractThis study examined the levels, types and causes of writing anxiety among Iranian EFL students. The participants were 120 EFL students in two institutes of higher education in Shiraz, Iran. Using the Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI) (Cheng, 2004), and Causes of Writing Anxiety Inventory (CWAI), developed by the authors based on clasroom observations and the previous research available on this issue. the level, types and causes of writing anxiety were obtained and triangulated by a semi-structured interview. The findings of this mixed method design study indicated a high level of writing anxiety, with cognitive anxiety as its main type, as reflected in preoccupation with performance and high expectations, and fear of teacher's negative feedback, low self-confidence and poor linguistic knowledge as its main sources. It was concluded that educational system in Iran and classroom practices, in particular, are chiefly responsible for this deficit and it was suggested that they should move toward a more non-judgemental and less-threatening approach, focusing on EFL students’ writing needs and expectations than setting far-achieved goals and putting pressure for perfect work. This study offers some implications for practitioners in this field which contribute to the betterment of writing skill among Iranian EFL students.