Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-04

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently booked a part-time course at a college. You now need to cancel your booking.

Write a letter to the college administrator. In your letter:

• say which part-time course you booked
• explain why you need to cancel your booking
• ask about booking a different course

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 hope this message finds you well. The purpose of reaching out to you

is, I want to drop my part-time course(Diploma in Pharmacy assistant) in your institute which I enrolled few months back.

My decision for cancellation is, I had a word with my peers and mentors and they have similar thoughts on the scope of this diploma is going to curtail in upcoming times. In addition, I found out that I also dont have interest in medicines as well because I am from Arts background.

However, I find one of your course quite interesting which is Diploma in painting. Also, this perfectly matches with my past education and i have expertise in that. Infact, I won first prize in poster making in my school. So, I just want to follow my passion and want to become a great artist of next era. Please let me if you can transfer me to this activity.

Thank you for your time and looking for a positive response from your end.

Regards,

Rahul

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and requesting a transfer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented, though the explanation regarding the 'scope of this diploma' could have been phrased more naturally to improve clarity. Overall, the response fulfills the requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the purpose of the letter to the justification and finally the request. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'However', and 'Also' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different sections of the letter, which helps the reader follow the narrative easily.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to convey their message clearly. There are some instances of slightly unnatural phrasing, such as 'curtail in upcoming times' and 'I am from Arts background'. While the range is sufficient to communicate the intended meaning, it lacks the precision and sophistication required for a higher band. Some minor errors in word choice do not impede communication, but they highlight a need for more natural collocations.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'I dont have interest' (missing apostrophe), 'let me if you can' (missing 'know'), and 'I find one of your course' (should be plural 'courses'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. To improve, the student should focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions.

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

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