Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-20

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 to express my interest in pursuing a part-time voluntary work at your museum as recently advertised in the newspaper.

To start with, I have keen interest in the history field since childhood. I would appreciate working at the museum to gain some valuable oratory skills. Moreover, I would also love to get an opportunity to learn and know the work culture at museums. It would be enormously beneficial for me to gain such a knowledgable experience.

In addition to this, I thrive in such a fast paced environment. I am goal oriented and I prioritise my tasks accordingly. I firmly believe such a caliber of mine highly aligns with the role that you are looking for.

I am part-time available to work as I have my French classes 3 days a week. However, I can cordially adjust my class hours to meet the museum job needs.

Thank you for giving time to consider my application. I would be highly grateful to contribute a lot to the museum.

Yours faithfully,

Sukhdeep Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate has successfully addressed all three bullet points required in the prompt. First, she clearly explains her motivation for volunteering, stating her lifelong interest in history and the desire to gain oratory and cultural skills. Second, she describes useful skills and qualities, mentioning that she thrives in fast-paced environments, is goal-oriented, and prioritises tasks effectively. Third, she provides details about her availability, noting her French classes and her willingness to adjust her schedule. All parts of the task are adequately covered and relevant ideas are presented, earning a solid Band 7.0 for this criterion.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter follows a clear logical organisation, beginning with an appropriate salutation and opening statement, followed by distinct paragraphs for each prompt requirement, and concluding with a standard formal sign-off. Cohesive devices such as 'To start with', 'Moreover', and 'In addition to this' are used to connect ideas and guide the reader smoothly through the text. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different themes, such as motivations, skills, and availability. Although some transitions feel slightly formulaic, the overall progression is clear, justifying a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The candidate demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a formal application letter. Phrases such as 'express my interest', 'goal oriented', and 'fast paced environment' are used successfully. However, there are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'pursuing a part-time voluntary work' (where 'work' is uncountable and 'voluntary' functions better as a noun or preceded by 'position'), 'knowledgable experience' (redundant collocation), and 'cordially adjust' (where 'readily' or 'flexibly' would be more natural than 'cordially'). Despite these minor flaws, communication is never impeded, leading to a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control of basic structures. Examples such as 'I firmly believe such a caliber of mine highly aligns with the role that you are looking for' show attempts at complex subordination. There are a few grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'voluntary work' needing no article ('a part-time voluntary work'), and 'giving time' which is less idiomatic than 'taking the time'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the errors do not impede communication. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors.

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

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