Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-21

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 apply for the part-time working opportunity at the Army Museum.

I am a full time student, studing Arts at Beaconhouse University. The university has a mandatory requirement for all students to do volunteer work in a relevent field. This prompted me to apply at the museum.

To tell you a bit about myself, I am a very well organised and focsued individual. I comfortably work in groups and individually. My university projects will reflect this. I always submit my projects on time. These traits and my academic study will help me in the museum. I will be able to assist in planning museum tours that are engaging and informational.

I can confirm my availability for work from Monday to Friday, during evening shifts. During the weekends my schedule can be flexible and I can come as per needed since I do not have my university classes.

I have attached a copy of my CV for your review. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Sam Khan

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student has successfully covered all three bullet points required in the task instructions. First, the writer explains why they want to do voluntary work, stating the university's mandatory requirement and personal interest, as seen in 'The university has a mandatory requirement for all students to do volunteer work in a relevent field.' Second, skills and qualities are described, such as being 'very well organised and focsued', along with the ability to work in groups and plan engaging museum tours. Third, clear details of availability are provided, indicating weekday evenings and flexible weekends. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a museum director. All requirements are fully addressed with relevant, coherent ideas, meeting the standard for a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a clear, logical organisation with appropriate paragraphing that separates the introduction, the purpose of writing, personal qualities, availability, and the closing sign-off. Each paragraph has a distinct focus. Cohesive devices are used adequately, for example, 'This prompted me to apply', 'To tell you a bit about myself', and 'These traits'. However, transitions between some sentences could be smoother to create a more natural flow, and referencing is occasionally basic. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow from beginning to end, warranting a solid score in coherence and cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for a formal application letter. Phrases such as 'mandatory requirement', 'voluntary/unpaid work', and 'academic study' are used appropriately. However, there are a few spelling and word-choice errors, such as 'studing' instead of 'studying', 'relevent' instead of 'relevant', and 'focsued' instead of 'focused'. While these spelling errors do not impede communication, they prevent the lexical score from reaching higher bands. The student attempts some less common vocabulary, but precision and control are occasionally lacking due to these typographical mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Good examples of complex structures include 'The university has a mandatory requirement for all students to do volunteer work in a relevent field' and 'I will be able to assist in planning museum tours that are engaging and informational.' There are some minor errors, primarily the spelling mistakes noted elsewhere and occasional slight punctuation issues, but the majority of sentences are grammatically sound and communication is never impeded. The control over simple and compound structures is generally secure, supporting a reliable band score.

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

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