Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-20

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 5.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to inform you that I want to cancel registration for a course that I have booked recently.

I got registered in Data Analytics part time course. I decided to took that study because my fried advised me so. She have completed a degree in Masters of Data Analytics and currently is is doing a well job. I got advice from her that after completing this course there are numerous job opportunities available

After getting graduating am helping in my family business moreover in a meanwhile time I started self study to examine how perfectly I will be able to to Data Analytics. As a result, I was facing obstructions whilst learning that course. I am from Medical background in studies, so I found it difficult to have this course in future.

I would appreciate it if you could exchange my admission from data analytics to Paramedic course. I have a keen in interest in this course. In addition, I have now researched properly on this course.

Thank you for your attention. I expect a response within a week. Please contact me for further clarification.

Your faithfully

Navjot Kaur

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have addressed all three bullet points required by the task: identifying the course, explaining the reason for cancellation, and requesting a transfer. The tone is generally appropriate for a formal letter. However, the explanation for the cancellation is slightly confusing; for instance, the transition from mentioning a family business to self-study is abrupt and lacks clarity. To improve, ensure that your reasons are logically connected and directly address the college administrator in a professional manner. The purpose of the letter is clear, and the reader understands your request, which satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow your request. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In addition' and 'As a result', though some transitions feel mechanical or slightly unnatural, such as 'moreover in a meanwhile time'. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly in the second paragraph where the connection between your family business and your inability to study Data Analytics is not fully explained. Improving the flow between sentences would help move your score into the higher bands.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, but there are several instances of awkward word choice and collocation errors. For example, 'doing a well job' should be 'doing a good job' or 'has a good job', and 'getting graduating' is not standard English. You also use 'obstructions' where 'difficulties' or 'challenges' would be more appropriate. While your meaning is generally clear, the lack of precision in word choice prevents a higher score. Focus on learning common collocations to sound more natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text, including issues with verb tenses ('She have completed'), subject-verb agreement ('she... is is doing'), and word order ('I decided to took'). You also have some punctuation and spelling errors, such as 'Your faithfully' instead of 'Yours faithfully'. While you attempt some complex sentences, they often contain errors that distract the reader. To improve, focus on basic sentence construction and proofreading for common errors like subject-verb agreement and verb forms after 'to'.

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

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