Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-22

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 6.5)

Dear Julia,

I hope you are doing well. I am writing this letter regarding requesting reduction in my full-time hours, as I am planning to study part-time masters in healthcare course. So, being a Direct support worker, I wish to gather deeper knowledge about providing effective healthcare to client and to enhance my skills.

As per checking the course schedule, I would be comfortable working three days a week in the mornings, which will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is because I will be needing to attend classes and finish homework on the remaining days of the week.

Most importantly, once I am graduating from this course I would be more helpful to the organization in various ways such as managing the finances, appointments and administration of medications as well.

I hope to hear from you at your earliest convinience.

Best regards,

Swapnil

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student has successfully covered all the bullet points in the prompt: explaining the reason for reducing hours (studying a healthcare masters), stating the preferred working hours (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings), and describing the benefits to the employer (managing finances, appointments, and medication administration). However, there is a penalty applied because the word count is 144 words, which falls short of the mandatory 150-word minimum specified in the instructions. Consequently, the task achievement is constrained by this length requirement, bringing the score down to a 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear, logical progression from introduction to reasons, schedule, benefits, and sign-off. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate distinct ideas, such as the reason for the request, the proposed schedule, and the benefits to the organisation. Cohesive devices are generally used effectively, as seen with phrases like 'As per checking' and 'Most importantly'. However, referencing and transitions are at times slightly mechanical. Overall, the text reads smoothly and achieves a Band 7 level for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate lexical resource for the task. Vocabulary is generally appropriate for a workplace request, incorporating relevant terms such as 'Direct support worker', 'administration of medications', and 'healthcare course'. There are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward collocations, such as 'regarding requesting reduction' and 'once I am graduating'. Spelling is accurate throughout the response. The range is sufficient to communicate the message clearly, aligning well with the Band 6 descriptors.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over relative clauses and conditional structures. Examples of complex structures include '...which will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday' and '...once I am graduating from this course I would be more helpful...'. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'planning to study part-time masters in healthcare course' (missing article) and 'I will be needing to attend classes' (awkward continuous form), along with a spelling error in the sign-off ('convinience' instead of convenience). These errors do not impede communication, supporting a Band 6 score.

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

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