Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-19

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 illustrates the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activities in 2010.

Overall, womens in the bar chart are involved more in physical activities as compared to mens. Aditionally, participation rates for young people is higher than the rate of older age group like female participation peaked during mid-life.

Looking closely at the younger generations males aged 15 to 24 recorded their highest level of engagment at 52.8%, outstripping females of the same age group who stood at 47.7%. However a sharp reversal occcured in the 25 to 34 bracket, where the male rate plummeted to 42.2% while female activity rose slightly to 48.9%. This gender gap widened further more among individuals ages 35 to 44, where female participation climbed to 52.5% while male number hit their lowest point at 39.5%.

For the older demoghraphic, female exercise rates peaked between the age of 45 to 54 at 53.3 meanwhile, males are at 43.1. Moving further from age gap 55 to 64, famale rate is at 53.3 but male are at 45.1. After that age from 65 further on, famale has 47.1 participation while, male at 46.7%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the chart’s subject and include several relevant comparisons, including the male peak among 15–24-year-olds (52.8%) and the female peak at 45–54 (53.3%). However, the overview is not fully accurate: women exceed men in most age groups, but not overall in every group, and participation does not simply decline with age. The claim that young people’s rates are higher than those of older groups overlooks the female figures, which are highest in middle age. There is also a factual error for women aged 55–64: the chart shows 53.0%, not 53.3%. To make the summary more complete and precise, state the main pattern clearly and check each reported figure against the chart.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by paragraphs comparing younger and older age groups. This gives the reader a workable progression, and transitions such as “However” and “For the older demographic” help signal shifts. Some connections are less clear or mechanical, though. “Moving further from age gap 55 to 64” does not express the comparison clearly, and the final sentence’s “After that age from 65 further on” is awkwardly linked to the preceding point. The overview also combines several claims without a clear hierarchy. Use more direct transitions and organise the body around the key contrast—men lead only in the youngest group, while women lead in the others—to strengthen progression and cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt a range of chart-related vocabulary, including “outstripping,” “plummeted,” “participation rates,” and “peaked,” which helps describe comparisons and changes. However, several word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “womens,” “mens,” “male number,” and “female exercise rates.” Spelling errors—including “Aditionally,” “engagment,” “occcured,” “demoghraphic,” and “famale”—are noticeable and reduce the precision of the report. Some expressions, such as “further more among individuals ages,” are also difficult to interpret. Aim for accurate, consistent terms such as “men,” “women,” “the male figure,” and “the female participation rate,” and proofread spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple statements and more complex comparisons, for example, “where the male rate…while female activity rose slightly,” showing an attempt to vary sentence structure. However, errors in agreement, tense, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. In the overview, “participation rates…is higher” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “female participation peaked during mid-life” is not clearly integrated into the sentence. Later, “female exercise rates peaked…at 53.3 meanwhile, males are at 43.1” has faulty punctuation and an inconsistent tense shift. The final sentence also has an unclear structure around “After that age from 65 further on.” Use complete, parallel comparisons and maintain past tense when describing the 2010 data.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.