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 cancel my booking on a part-time course I was recently enrolled at Seneca college.

To begin with, I have booked a part-time Clinical Laboratory Technician course at the college last month. I have chose this programme because I find it fascinating to learn about medical techniques and procedures used for processing human specimens. However, after some attending some classes I felt confusing and overwhelming. In addition, this course requires a strong background on science field which I have not pursued. I have also had meetings with my mentors to take suggestions on switching to different course. After a careful thought, I have now decided to switch my current course to Health and Safety Management programme. I believe this new subject will enable to take knowledge on general responsibilities and laboratory protocols as it aligns well with my passion and skills. Therefore, I request that you provide me the required fees and duration of the program so I can apply soon.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me the details at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Payal Bhakta

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points: the course name is identified, the reason for cancellation is explained, and a request for information regarding a new course is made. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to an administrator. The ideas are relevant and clearly presented. To reach a higher band, the student could provide more specific details regarding the 'mentors' or the 'Health and Safety' course to further develop the response, as some points are slightly brief. However, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the cancellation request from the inquiry about the new course. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin with,' 'However,' 'In addition,' and 'Therefore' are used to guide the reader through the text. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is clear throughout, and the letter maintains a consistent formal tone, ensuring the reader can follow the writer's intentions without difficulty.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'enrolled,' 'fascinating,' 'specimens,' and 'protocols.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'I have chose' (should be 'chosen') and 'take knowledge' (should be 'gain knowledge'). Additionally, 'after some attending some classes' contains a repetition error. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message clearly, the range is not yet broad enough to demonstrate the flexibility and precision required for higher bands. The errors do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The letter uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, including tense issues ('I have booked' should be 'I booked' as it refers to a specific past time), verb form errors ('I have chose'), and prepositional errors ('background on science field' should be 'background in the science field'). Some phrasing is slightly awkward, such as 'I felt confusing and overwhelming' (should be 'confused and overwhelmed'). While these errors are noticeable, they do not prevent the reader from understanding the message. Increasing the accuracy of verb tenses and adjective forms would improve the score.

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

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