Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-23

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 8.5)

Dear Ali,

I hope you are doing well. I was really pleased to hear that you are considering applying for the same course that I completed at university. I would be happy to share my experience and give you some advice.

I studied a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, which was a four-year course. The programme covered a wide range of subjects, including marketing, accounting, management, finance and business communication. I particularly enjoyed the practical assignments and group projects because they helped me develop useful skills for the workplace.

I strongly recommend this university because it has highly qualified teachers, excellent academic facilities and a friendly learning environment. In addition, the university offers many opportunities for students to participate in seminars, workshops and extracurricular activities. I found the staff very supportive, especially when I needed guidance with my studies.

As for applying, I suggest that you visit the university’s official website and carefully check the admission requirements and application deadlines. You should prepare your academic certificates, identification documents and a well-written personal statement in advance. It would also be a good idea to apply early, as places may be limited.

I hope you find this advice helpful. Please let me know if you need any further information. I wish you the very best with your application.

Best wishes,

Muhammad Danial

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the task. You provided clear details about your Business Administration course, explained the benefits of the university, and offered practical, actionable advice on the application process. The tone is consistently appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a helpful and encouraging persona throughout. The ideas are well-developed and the response is logically structured, ensuring the reader receives all the necessary information requested in the prompt. There are no omissions, and the purpose of the letter is clear from the opening paragraph.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The letter is well-organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph focuses on a specific requirement of the prompt, which makes the information easy to follow. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In addition', 'As for', and 'because', which link your sentences and paragraphs smoothly. The paragraphing is logical and contributes to the overall clarity of the message. The transition between the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion is natural, and the use of referencing is precise throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and natural range of vocabulary that is well-suited to the context of university studies and applications. Phrases such as 'highly qualified teachers', 'academic facilities', and 'admission requirements' are used accurately and show a good command of topic-specific language. The word choices are precise, and there are no errors in spelling or collocation. While the vocabulary is not overly complex, it is perfectly appropriate for the task and conveys your meaning with clarity and ease. You have successfully avoided repetition and maintained a professional yet friendly tone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.5

Your writing displays a high level of grammatical control. You have used a variety of sentence structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses (e.g., 'I was really pleased to hear that you are considering applying...'). The grammar is accurate throughout the response, with no noticeable errors in tense, subject-verb agreement, or punctuation. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the flow of the text is natural. The punctuation is used correctly to support the structure of your arguments, and the overall grammatical accuracy is consistent with a high-level performance.

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