Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-07-31

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

below shows the value of one country’s exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 8.0)

The bar chart gives information on amount of money earned in billions of dollars from a country's exports in various categories (petroleum products, engineered products, gems and jewellery, agricultural products, and textiles), in 2015 and 2016. The table illustrates the variation in each category of export in percentages, comparing 2016 with 2015.

Overall, petroleum products were the most valuable export product in both years followed closely by engineered goods. Agricultural products and textiles were the least valuable across the years.Textiles were the most improved between 2015 and 2016 while gems and jewellery were the only products to decline in export value.

Textiles showed the largest upward shift in export value by 15.24%. Engineered products, which were second in increase, appreciated by 8.5% in 2016 to almost tie with pertroleum products. Petroleum products registered a 3% climb in export value, from 65 billion dollars to around 67 billion in 2016, to maintain the top spot as the most valuable. Agricultural products noticed a small 0.81% increase between 2015 and 2016.

Gems and jewellery was the only export product to decline in economic value, by 5.81% across the years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

You have successfully addressed all parts of the task. You provided a clear overview of the data, identified the main trends, and made relevant comparisons between the categories and years. The inclusion of specific data points from both the bar chart and the table supports your analysis well. You accurately highlighted the most valuable exports, the growth in textiles, and the decline in gems and jewellery. The information is logically selected and presented, meeting the requirements for a Band 7.0 or higher. To reach a higher band, ensure that all figures are explicitly linked to the categories to avoid any ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.0

The response is well-organised with a clear progression of ideas. You have used paragraphing effectively to separate the introduction, the overview, and the detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'while', and 'in both years' are used appropriately to link information. The flow between sentences is logical, and the information is easy to follow. To improve further, you could use a wider variety of cohesive devices to connect the sentences within paragraphs more fluidly, rather than relying on simple conjunctions.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision. Phrases like 'upward shift', 'registered a climb', and 'economic value' are used effectively. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is appropriate for an Academic Task 1. However, there are minor issues with word choice, such as 'appreciated' (which is usually reserved for currency or assets) and 'noticed a small increase' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). Overall, the vocabulary is adequate and allows for clear communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

You have used a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are error-free, and your control over punctuation is good. There are a few minor slips, such as 'amount of money earned' (which should be 'the amount') and 'pertroleum' (a spelling error). These errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, focus on incorporating more varied complex structures, such as passive voice or participle clauses, to describe the data trends more dynamically.

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