Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-18

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A museum near your home is looking for people to do part-time voluntary/unpaid work. You would like to do some voluntary/unpaid work at the museum. Write a letter to the museum director to apply for the voluntary/unpaid work. In your letter

• explain why you want to do voluntary/unpaid work at the museum
• describe some skills and qualities you have that would be useful
• give details of when you would be available for work

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to formally apply for the voluntary or unpaid work at the museum. The museum is located close to my house and I will be happy to explore this opportunity.

Firstly, I am about to complete my project at the office and will have a breather for a few days, until I get assigned to new projects. Furthermore, my sibing is going through a peculiar medical condition and this job at the museum can provide significant financial aid to me.

Additionally, I have experience working at a museum in Colorado for two years. I am flexible and can work in late shifts. I have a keen eye and I usually pay attention to minute details. I am coordial and have great interpersonal skills to communicate with the visitors, if required.

I will be available for this exciting opportunity by the end of this month. Usually, I leave office around 5 p.m. and I will ensure that I reach the museum by 5:30 p.m. Considering the official holidays on weekend, I can work at the museum between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

I hope you will consider my candidature and looking forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Gaurav

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required in the prompt. First, the purpose of applying for the voluntary work is clearly stated, though the mention of financial aid is slightly contradictory for unpaid work ("voluntary or unpaid work"), but the candidate elaborates on gaining experience. Second, relevant skills and qualities are detailed, including two years of past museum experience and strong interpersonal skills. Third, availability is explicitly outlined regarding work timings and start dates. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a museum director. Overall, the task is fully covered, warranting a solid Band 7.0 for Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter exhibits a clear logical organization and progression throughout. Paragraphing is used effectively to separate the different requirements of the prompt, such as reasons for applying, skills, and availability. Cohesive devices like "Firstly", "Furthermore", and "Additionally" are employed to sequence ideas logically, although referencing is slightly confused in the second paragraph where voluntary work is oddly tied to financial aid. Nevertheless, the overall arrangement is coherent, and progression is easy to follow, making this a clear Band 7.0 performance.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, such as "formally apply", "interpersonal skills", and "candidature". However, there are a few lexical inaccuracies and odd collocations, such as "breather" (too informal for a formal letter), "peculiar medical condition" (unnatural collocation), and "coordial" (spelling error for cordial). Despite these slips, the vocabulary used is adequate to convey the intended message clearly without impeding communication, aligning with the criteria for Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over tense shifts (e.g., present, future, and conditional structures). There are, however, several grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, such as "voluntary or unpaid work" (redundant), "in late shifts" (should be "on late shifts"), and a minor punctuation/preposition slip in "looking forward to hearing from you" (missing subject pronoun "I am looking forward"). While these errors persist, they are non-systematic and rarely impede communication, placing the response securely in the Band 6.5 range.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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