Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-08-22

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You would like to reduce your working hours in order to study part time.

Write a letter to your boss. In your letter

• explain why you want to reduce your working hours
• say which hours you would like to work
• describe how your part-time studies would benefit your employer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ....................................,

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Mitul,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I am Vimarsh Shah who is working as an accountant in your team since past 3 years. I am writing this letter to discuss a flexibility arrangement in my working hours in order to study for the CPA Program.

I have been enrolled in a CPA program recently and as you know it's a gold credential in accounting profession I am finding it very difficult to focus on study along with the demanding working hours that our jobs demand. It becomes very difficult for me to study in week days since the task that I do drain out all the mental capacity that I have and thus make me very tired with in turns impacts my preparation. I had my mock test recently and am scoring in range of 50-60% in mocks but I require a minimum of 75% to pass the CPA exams so I would like to reduce my working hours to 6 hours from 9:00 am to 3:00 om in week days and I will try to work in weekend in early morning for some pending task.

The reason is by you allowing me for this flexible arrangement I would be able to pass the CPA test and this would give me an extra edge and I would be able to figure out all the mess-up that the current accounting stickier creates and would be able to improvise it which will effectively make our lives easy. Hoping to get your approval on my flexible work arrangement soon.

Best regards,

Vimarsh Shah.

Accountant.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have addressed all three bullet points of the task: explaining the need for reduced hours, specifying the desired schedule, and detailing the benefits to the employer. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter to a manager. However, the development of ideas is somewhat uneven. While the explanation for the request is clear, the section regarding how the studies will benefit the employer is slightly vague and could have been more professionally articulated. Specifically, phrases like 'figure out all the mess-up' are informal and lack the professional precision expected in a business context. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter follows a logical structure with a clear opening and closing. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, the explanation of the situation, and the benefits. However, the flow between sentences is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and a lack of varied cohesive devices. For instance, the transition between the explanation of the mock tests and the proposed schedule is a bit abrupt. While the progression of ideas is generally easy to follow, the use of linking words is somewhat repetitive, and some sentences feel disjointed due to grammatical issues, which prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey your message, including terms like 'flexible arrangement', 'credential', and 'demanding'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'gold credential', 'stickier', and 'mess-up'. These choices detract from the professional tone required for a letter to a boss. While the meaning is always clear, the lack of precision and the occasional misuse of vocabulary limit the score. To improve, focus on using more formal business terminology and ensuring that collocations are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'I am Vimarsh Shah who is working' (should be 'who has been working'), 'since past 3 years' (should be 'for the past 3 years'), and 'in week days' (should be 'on weekdays'). Additionally, there are punctuation issues, such as the run-on sentence in the second paragraph. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to suggest a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms, which is characteristic of a Band 6 level.

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

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