Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-26

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 Sophia,

How are you? It has been a long time since we met. I am so excited to know that you are thinking to apply for the same course at the University of Alberta.

I enrolled for Bachelors in Accounting, that also includes other business subjects such as marketing, finance, investment and insurance. I have selected accounts as my major interest on the enrolment form. University of Alberta has 4 campuses and the one that offers this course is closer to my house. Additionally, I have heard that faculties are with specialised knowledge and degrees in their subjects. Furthermore, they provide the reference letter at the completion of course which can help students to get a good job.

Most importantly, their application process is very easy, you will need to go on their website and fill up the application form. It includes the basic information about yourself and your past studies. You would also require to attach your parents' information. Once they review it, you will get a call from them for interview.

I hope you and I become the bench partners again.

See you soon.

Best regards,

Ishika.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have addressed all three bullet points in the prompt effectively. You provided details about the Accounting course, explained why the university is a good choice, and outlined the application process. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend, maintaining a friendly and helpful persona throughout. The ideas are relevant and sufficiently developed to meet the requirements of the task. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific personal insights or anecdotes about the course to make the advice feel more authentic and detailed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each requirement, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'Most importantly' to guide the reader through your points. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the paragraphing could be more distinct to separate the advice from the course description. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, and the referencing is clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enrolled', 'specialised knowledge', and 'application process'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'faculties are with specialised knowledge' (should be 'faculty members have specialized knowledge') and 'bench partners' (which is not a standard English idiom for classmates). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands. Expanding your use of collocations would improve the natural flow of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'thinking to apply' (should be 'thinking of applying'), 'I have selected accounts' (should be 'accounting'), and 'provide the reference letter' (should be 'provide reference letters'). Additionally, 'you would also require to attach' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'you will also be required to attach'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on verb patterns and preposition usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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