Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-12
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 5.5)
The bar graph compares the percentage of Australian males and females who engage in regular exercise across six different age groups in 2010
Overall, it is evident that women generally demonstrated higher levels of physical activity than men across most age groups, with the exception of those aged 14 to 23, where men recorded a higher rate. The oldest group showed similar rates between both genders.
Regarding the youny age group (15 to 24 ), the males are stood it 52.8, the highest rate among all male age groups. This was followed by a decline to 38.8% for the 35-44 age group, before gradually rising again in the older age groups stood at 46.7.
In contrast, women aged 15-24 recorded a lower rate at 47.7%. This figure then rose steadily, reaching a peak of 53.3% among those aged 45 to 54, before declining to 47.1% in the oldest aged groups.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by providing an appropriate introduction, an overall summary, and specific details comparing the percentage of Australian men and women engaging in regular physical activity across different age groups in 2010. Key features, such as the trends among young adults and older demographics, are highlighted and compared effectively. For instance, the student correctly notes that women generally demonstrated higher activity levels except for the youngest group. Although there are some minor inaccuracies with specific data points cited in the body paragraphs, the main trends are adequately captured, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, providing a logical overall structure with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for males and females. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Regarding', and 'In contrast' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, paragraphing and referencing suffer from minor flaws, such as the slightly disjointed third paragraph and punctuation slips. Progression is generally clear, but the mechanical nature of some transitions keeps the coherence at a Band 6.0 level.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, such as 'percentage', 'demanded', 'decline', and 'steadily'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'exception' and 'gradually rising'. However, there are notable lexical and spelling errors, such as 'youny' instead of 'young' and awkward phrasing like 'the males are stood it 52.8'. These errors do not impede overall communication, but they restrict the lexical score to a Band 5.5.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over grammar. However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward structures, particularly in the reporting of figures, such as 'the males are stood it 52.8' and 'the oldest aged groups'. Punctuation is also missing in places, such as at the very end of the introductory sentence. While these errors rarely completely impede communication, their frequency prevents the writer from achieving a higher score, placing this response firmly at Band 5.5.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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