Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-09-15
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 CHART COMPARES AGE GROUPS OF MEN AND WOMEN IN AUSTRALIA WHO DID PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REGULARLY IN 2010, MEASURED IN PERCENTAGE.
OVERALL, IT IS QUITE EVIDENT THAT FEMALE RECORDED THE HIGHEST FIGURE IN AGE GROUP OF 25 TO 34, 35 TO 44, 45 TO 54, 55 TO 64 AS WELL AS 65 AND ABOVE AGE. ANOTHER NOTABLE FEATURE IS THAT THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE GAP BETWEEN THE MOST AND LEAST SIGNIFICANT CATEGORIES, WHILE THE REMAINING CATEGORIES OCCUPIED INTERMEDIATE POSITIONS.
FEMALE CATEGORY HAS INCRESED STEADILY IN BETWEEN AGE GROUP OF 15-24 TO 25-34. IN TERMS OF HIGHER-RANKING CATEGORIES, AGE GROUP OF 45-54 FOR FEMALE ACCOUNTED 53.3%, MAKING IT THE LEADING CATEGORY IN THE CHART. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY FEMALE GROUP BETWEEN 55-64, WHICH STOOD AT 53%. TOGATHER, THEY REPRESENTED LARGEST PROPORTIONS AMONG ALL CETEGORIES SHOWN.
REGARDING THE REMAINING CATEGORIES, MALE GROUP RECORDED 39.5% IN AGE GROUP OF 35-44, WHICH WAS NOTICEABLY LOWER THAN FIGURES FOR MALE CATEGORY IN 65 AND ABOVE AGE. BY CONTRAST, AGR GROUP OF 15-24 IN MALE CONTRIBUTED 47.7% WHICH IS HIGHEST ACCOUNTED IN MALE AGE GROUP. IN TERMS OF AGE GROUP 65 AND ABOVE THE LEAST GAP REGISTERED BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE CATEGORY.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student addresses the main task requirements by summarizing the overall trends and reporting key features from the chart, such as the peak percentage in the 45-54 female group (53.3%). However, there are notable factual inaccuracies regarding the data. For instance, the overview incorrectly states that females recorded the highest figure across all age groups from 25 to 65+, when in fact males recorded higher figures in the 15-24 and 65+ age brackets. Additionally, the statement that 'female category has incresed steadily in between age group of 15-24 to 25-34' contradicts the chart, which shows a decrease from 47.7% to 48.9% (wait, 47.7 to 48.9 is a slight rise, but the male figure dropped significantly). These data misreadings prevent the response from achieving a higher band score.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into four paragraphs, including a brief introduction and an overview. However, the logical progression is hindered by confusing statements and inaccurate data comparisons. Cohesive devices are used sparingly and sometimes inaccurately (e.g., 'TOGATHER, THEY REPRESENTED...'). Paragraphing is attempted, but the grouping of ideas lacks clear structure, as body paragraphs mix general assertions with specific data points without a seamless flow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student attempts a range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, including terms like 'proportion', 'category', 'significant', and 'leading category'. However, there are spelling errors ('INCRESED', 'TOGATHER', 'CETEGORIES', 'AGR') and awkward word choices or collocations, such as 'the least gap registered between male and female category'. The vocabulary is adequate to convey basic meaning, but frequent errors in spelling and word formation restrict the score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'While the remaining categories occupied intermediate positions.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including missing articles ('in age group of 25 to 34'), tense and verb agreement issues ('FEMALE RECORDED', 'FEMALE CATEGORY HAS INCRESED'), and preposition misuse. Furthermore, the entire text is written in capital letters, which is inappropriate for formal writing tasks.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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