Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-14

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A friend of yours is thinking about applying for the same course that you did at university. He/She has asked for your advice about studying this subject. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

• give details of the course you took at the university
• explain why you recommend the university
• give some advice about how to apply

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear .................. ,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Rajesh,

I am excited to hear that you are thinking to become a mechanical engineer from University of California. I passed out of that university 2 years ago and glad that you have chosen the same pathway.

There are multiple courses offered by the university like engineering, medical and business and I chose engineering with specialisation in computer science. The course is designed for 4 years and offer campus recruitment post completion of the degree.

Firstly, I would to say that faculty is very experienced specially the Head of Departments. The infrastructure is very unique and runs on solar system. The technology in the labs are equipped with latest instruments. Bright Students are offered with great scholarships and everyone gets the job at the end of the course.

To apply for the university, you need to pass their entrance exam based on your previous studies and the course selected. After clearing the exam, there are 3 rounds of interview consists of technical and personal questions followed by final merit list.

I hope the above information is sufficient as of now. Please let me know in case of any clarifications required.

Looking forward to see you as my alumni.

Sincerely,

XYZ

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt: describing the course, recommending the university, and explaining the application process. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. However, the development of ideas is somewhat superficial. For example, when you mention the university infrastructure, you could have provided more specific details about how the solar-powered facilities or the labs directly benefited your learning experience. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are not just listed but are expanded upon with personal insight or specific examples that demonstrate a deeper engagement with the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter follows a logical progression, with each paragraph focusing on a specific requirement of the task. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Firstly' and 'To apply for the university' to guide the reader. However, the transition between sentences within paragraphs can be slightly mechanical. Some referencing is also a bit unclear, such as 'everyone gets the job at the end of the course,' which is a broad generalization. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence would enhance the flow and logical structure of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'specialisation,' 'infrastructure,' and 'merit list.' However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For instance, 'I passed out of that university' is an informal expression often used in specific regions but is not standard academic or formal English; 'graduated from' would be more appropriate. Additionally, 'The technology in the labs are equipped' contains a subject-verb agreement error. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise academic collocations would help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'thinking to become' (should be 'thinking of becoming'), 'offer campus recruitment' (should be 'offers'), and 'Looking forward to see you' (should be 'seeing'). While these errors do not prevent the message from being understood, they indicate a lack of control over complex structures. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement, correct preposition usage, and ensuring that verb forms following specific phrases are accurate.

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

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