Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-03

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 8.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to inform you that I need to cancel my booking for the part-time music course, which I enrolled in earlier this year as my elective subject alongside my main Computer Networking programme.

After attending several lectures, I realised that the course covers a wide range of music styles, including classical, folk, and international rap, which requires far more time and effort than I had originally expected. In addition, the class timing clashes significantly with my main subject schedule, making it increasingly difficult and stressful to manage both effectively.

Having discussed this with my tutor, I have decided that a Cyber Security elective would be a much better fit, as it directly relates to my career goal of becoming a network engineer and would also match my current timetable more conveniently.

I would therefore like to ask whether it is possible to cancel my current booking and enrol instead in the Cyber Security course. I would be grateful for your confirmation at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,

Mayur

Student ID: [redacted phone]

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identify the music course, provide a logical and detailed explanation for the cancellation (workload and scheduling conflicts), and effectively request a transfer to the Cyber Security course. The tone is consistently formal and appropriate for a letter to an administrator. The ideas are well-developed and the purpose of the letter is clear from the outset. There are no omissions, and the response maintains a professional focus throughout, meeting all requirements of the task effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph serves a distinct purpose, moving from the statement of intent to the explanation, the proposed solution, and the final request. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Having discussed this', and 'I would therefore like to' are used naturally to link sentences and paragraphs. The structure is coherent, and the information flows smoothly, making the letter easy to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of your request.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for a formal request. Phrases such as 'enrolled in', 'elective subject', 'clashes significantly', and 'at your earliest convenience' show a strong command of professional language. The word choice is precise and fits the context of a college administrative request. There are no noticeable errors in collocation or spelling, and the vocabulary is varied enough to convey your message with clarity and a formal tone suitable for the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response exhibits a high level of grammatical accuracy. You use a variety of complex sentence structures, such as the participial phrase 'Having discussed this with my tutor' and relative clauses like 'which requires far more time'. The majority of sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is used correctly throughout. The control over verb tenses and modal verbs (e.g., 'would be', 'is possible') is consistent and accurate. There are no significant grammatical slips that impede communication or detract from the professional quality of the writing.

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