Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-01

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The bar chart illustrates what percentage of males and females took part in regular exercise in the year 2010 across Australia.

In total, there are six different age categories with the youngest category of 15 to 24, recurring in nine-year increments until the oldest age group of 65 and over.

Notably, females engaged more regularly in physical activity than males in five out of the six age groups, with the only age group that males engaged more than females being 16 to 24 year-olds. In this category, over half of males were completing regular physical activity.

The highest percentage of females partaking in regular physical activity was in the 45 to 54 age group, similar to the percentage of males in the 15 to 24 category, accounting for over half.

In the category for 65 and over, the percentage of males and females completing regular physical activity was almost equal and just below half, with just 0.4% difference between male and female. This was the smallest indifference between the two genders. Overall, in this category, 47.1% of females and 46.7% of males were physical active on a regular basis.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview and selects key features, such as the gender comparison and the peak participation groups. However, there are significant inaccuracies in data reporting. You state that males engaged more than females in the 16-24 age group, but the chart shows the 15-24 category. Furthermore, you mention the 45-54 age group as the peak for females, but the data indicates the 35-44 group is higher. Additionally, you claim the 65+ group had the smallest difference, whereas the 55-64 group shows a smaller gap. These factual errors hinder the accuracy of your summary, which is a key requirement for Task 1.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized into paragraphs, with a clear introduction and body paragraphs that group information by age and gender. Cohesive devices such as 'Notably', 'In this category', and 'Overall' are used effectively to guide the reader. However, the progression of ideas is slightly hampered by the factual inconsistencies noted in the Task Achievement section. The use of referencing is generally clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate for a short report. To improve, ensure that transitions between sentences more clearly reflect the relationships between the data points being compared.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, using terms like 'age categories', 'nine-year increments', and 'physical activity'. There are some minor errors in word choice, such as 'smallest indifference' (should be 'smallest difference') and 'physical active' (should be 'physically active'). While the vocabulary is adequate for the task, it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. Incorporating more varied synonyms for 'percentage' or 'engaged' would enhance the lexical quality of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear, and errors in grammar—such as the adjective/adverb confusion in 'were physical active'—do not impede communication. There is a good attempt at using complex structures, such as 'with the only age group that males engaged more than females being 16 to 24 year-olds'. Punctuation is generally accurate, and the sentence control is sufficient for the task. To reach a higher band, ensure greater consistency in subject-verb agreement and adverb usage.

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

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