Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-06

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 Jashan, I feel really happy after seeing your letter in which you mentioned that you want to continue your studies at my university and want some advice from me regarding taking the same course as me at my university. I am studying "Computer Science " at Columbia University, Vancouver. My two semesters have been successfully passed by me with flying numbers. In this course, you will learn about AI technology, cybersecurity, C language, networking, and so on. I would love to recommend my university for this course, as our university has several well-educated and expert professors who have great knowledge of this field. Also, the university offers several other benefits, such as placement in a well-reputed company after the completion of your course. You can easily apply for this course through the college website "Columbiauniversity.ca" for the upcoming semester, and the classes for that semester is starting from the November. This course helps you develop your knowledge and skills regarding artificial intelligence, as the usage of technology, especially AI, is rapidly increasing day by day. Yours sincerely, Komal

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You provided details about the Computer Science course, explained the benefits of the university, and offered clear advice on the application process. The tone is appropriate for a letter to a friend. To reach a higher band, ensure that your ideas are slightly more developed; for instance, when mentioning the 'well-reputed company' placement, you could briefly explain how that helps with future career prospects. Overall, the response is clear and fully meets the requirements of the task.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized, with each paragraph focusing on one of the required points. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'Also' and 'In this course' to link ideas. However, the flow between sentences could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words and transition phrases. Some sentences feel slightly disconnected, and the paragraphing is a bit sparse. To improve, try to use more sophisticated cohesive devices to connect your thoughts more fluidly, which will help the reader follow your argument more naturally.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'cybersecurity', 'networking', and 'well-reputed'. However, there are some awkward phrasings, such as 'flying numbers' (which is not a standard idiom; 'flying colors' would be the correct expression) and 'successfully passed by me' (which is passive and unnatural). To achieve a higher score, focus on using more natural collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your vocabulary to include more precise academic or professional terminology would also be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'classes... is starting' (subject-verb agreement) and 'the usage of technology... is rapidly increasing day by day' (slightly redundant). Additionally, the passive construction 'My two semesters have been successfully passed by me' is clunky. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and try to use more active voice constructions. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures while maintaining accuracy will help you move into the higher bands.

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.