Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-09-30

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 this to request the cancellation of booking of a part-time course due to change in my university exams schedule.

I recently booked a part-time course called The Advanced Java from your institute. This course is from Monday to Friday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. I also deposited an advance of 200 USD which I paid the booking amount 1 week ago at the booking counter. The booking was handled by Adam Bale.

My university has changed the examination schedule for the final year students. Our exams will now be conducted in the month of October. So, it will not be possible for me to attend the course as the timings will clash with the semester datesheet.

I have checked other courses available in your college which will start in the month of December. I would appreciate, if you could adjust my deposit amount and book the Java Beginner to Advance course which will start in December.

Let me know if you need any details from my end.

Kind regards,

Michael

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You have successfully covered all three bullet points required in the task instructions. You clearly stated which course you booked ("The Advanced Java"), explained the reason for cancellation due to a conflict with your university exam schedule in October, and asked about booking a different course starting in December ("Java Beginner to Advance"). The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a college administrator, and the purpose is clear from the opening paragraph. Your ideas are relevant, and the details provided, such as the deposit amount and staff member's name, add realism and adequate development to the task. The response meets all task requirements effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your letter is easy to follow, with a clear logical progression from stating the purpose of the letter to giving the background details, explaining the problem, and finally making a request for an alternative booking. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each paragraph focusing on a distinct aspect of your message. Cohesive devices are generally well managed, although some transitional phrases could be more varied. Referencing is mostly clear, though expressions like "this course is from Monday to Friday" and "I paid the booking amount 1 week ago at the booking counter" could be linked more smoothly. Overall, the organizational structure supports your message effectively.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate and generally appropriate range of vocabulary for this task, using terms such as "cancellation," "advance," "semester datesheet," and "adjust my deposit amount." While much of your vocabulary is functional rather than sophisticated, it successfully conveys your meaning. There are occasional awkward word choices or slightly unnatural phrasing, such as "request the cancellation of booking of a part-time course" (which contains a slight repetition and could be streamlined to "request the cancellation of my part-time course booking"), but these do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses such as "which will start in the month of December" and conditional/time clauses effectively. Grammatical control is generally good, and punctuation is handled well throughout. There are a few minor slips or awkward constructions, such as "due to change in my university exams schedule" (missing an article before "change" and possessing an unnecessary plural in "exams schedule") and "I would appreciate, if you could adjust" (unnecessary comma). However, the majority of your sentences are error-free and do not impede communication.

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