Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-25

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 am writing to inform that I need to cancel the part-time course I booked.

Name of the part-time course I booked is "Power System Design" which has been scheduled to start from next month. Topics like single line diagram preparation, choosing protection philosophy, earthing and lightning protection calculations were included in that course. I selected this course because I was working in Substation design department and these topics are closely related with my work.

Unfortunately, I have been transferred to Planning department last week. Office policy suggests that I have to participate in an Introductory training program before joining in a new department. This introductory training is arranged in a different city, and generally runs for one month. In this situation, I would not be able to attend the first month of the course. As a result I would like to cancel my booking.

However, after coming back I would like to join a different course that you offer on "Power system planning". I don't remember the exact name but as far as I know topic such as load flow study, fault analysis and contingency study are covered in that course.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

You have successfully addressed all three bullet points in the prompt. You clearly identified the course booked ('Power System Design'), provided a logical and detailed explanation for the cancellation due to a job transfer, and inquired about an alternative course. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are well-developed and relevant to the context of the task. To reach a higher band, ensure that the closing of the letter is more formal, as 'Dear Sir or Madam' requires a 'Yours faithfully' sign-off, which was missing here.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

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 explanation and finally the request for a new course. You used some cohesive devices such as 'Unfortunately', 'As a result', and 'However' to link your ideas effectively. However, the paragraphing could be improved; the final paragraph is quite short, and the transition between the explanation and the request could be smoother. Overall, the information is easy to follow and the structure is coherent.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary relevant to the professional context, such as 'protection philosophy', 'earthing', 'load flow study', and 'contingency study'. This shows an ability to use topic-specific terminology accurately. There are some minor awkward phrasings, such as 'I am writing to inform that I need to cancel' (should be 'inform you that') and 'joining in a new department' (should be 'joining a new department'). Despite these minor slips, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly and precisely throughout the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. For example, 'Office policy suggests that I have to participate in an Introductory training program before joining in a new department' is a well-constructed complex sentence. There are some minor grammatical errors, such as 'Name of the part-time course... is' (missing the article 'The') and 'topics... are covered' (the subject-verb agreement is correct, but the phrasing is slightly clunky). Punctuation is generally accurate, and these minor errors do not impede communication or cause confusion for the reader.

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

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