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 opportunity at the Army Museum.

I am a full-time student, studying Arts at Beaconhouse University. The university has a mandatory requirement for all students to do volunteer work in a relevant 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. Moreover, 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 bullet points outlined in the prompt. First, the writer explains the motivation for doing voluntary work, citing a mandatory university requirement in Arts at Beaconhouse University. Second, useful skills and qualities are detailed, specifically mentioning being well organised, focused, and capable of working both individually and in groups, linking these to planning engaging and informational museum tours. Third, clear details of work availability are provided, distinguishing between weekday evening shifts and flexible weekend schedules. The tone is appropriately formal for a letter to a museum director. All requirements are fully addressed with relevant, extended ideas, meeting the criteria for a solid band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is clearly structured with a standard greeting, well-defined paragraphs for each key point, and a polite sign-off. Ideas logically progress from the purpose of writing to personal qualities, availability, and next steps. Cohesive devices are used adequately, such as 'Moreover', 'These traits', and 'To tell you a bit about myself', which help guide the reader through the text. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct themes, ensuring clear overall organisation. While the cohesion is sometimes a bit mechanical, it maintains a clear logical flow throughout, fitting the band 7 descriptor well.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is generally appropriate and adequate for the task. The student successfully employs terms such as 'mandatory requirement', 'voluntary work', 'well organised', and 'flexible schedule'. However, there is a spelling error ('focsued' instead of 'focused') and some phrasing tends toward the simpler side, such as 'come as per needed'. The range of vocabulary is sufficient to allow some flexibility and precision, but it lacks the more sophisticated or uncommon lexical items typical of higher bands. Meaning is never obscured, allowing for a comfortable reading experience, which places this firmly at a band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The writing displays a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The university has a mandatory requirement for all students to do volunteer work in a relevant field' and 'I will be able to assist in planning museum tours that are engaging and informational.' Grammatical control is generally quite good, with many error-free sentences. There are minor slips, such as the spelling typo noted earlier, and slightly awkward phrasing in sentences like 'During the weekends my schedule can be flexible and I can come as per needed'. Overall, punctuation is accurate, and the grammatical errors do not impede communication, meriting a band 7.0.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.