Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-04

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 6.0)

The bar chart and table present the export value of a country in different areas - petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewelry, agriculture products and textile between 2015 and 2016.

Overall, the leading export material of the country was petroleum and engineering goods in both years. All categories have seen an increase except gems and jewelry. A significant boost was seen in the textiles industry.

Petroleum is the highest of all in both years; in 2015 it contributed $60 billion which raised by 3% in 2016 to approximately $63 billion. Engineering goods export values increased by 8% in 2016 to around $60 billion. Gems and jewelry accounted for over $50 billion in 2015 but declined by 5.18% in 2016 to $50 billion.

Agriculture products remained almost stable at around $40 billion in both year whereas, textile industry export picked growth in 2016 increasing to $40 billion with an increase of 15.24% from the previous year.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

You have successfully identified the main features and provided a clear overview of the data. You covered all categories and included relevant comparisons, such as noting the growth in textiles versus the decline in gems and jewelry. The data is accurately reported, and the inclusion of both the absolute values and the percentage changes demonstrates a good grasp of the task requirements. To reach a higher band, ensure that all figures are consistently precise; for instance, you mentioned petroleum raised by 3% to $63 billion, but the table shows $60.8 billion. Double-checking these small details will improve the accuracy of your reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that group the data effectively. You use cohesive devices such as 'in both years', 'whereas', and 'from the previous year' to link ideas. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be smoother. Additionally, some sentences are slightly repetitive in structure. Using a wider variety of linking words or phrases to contrast the categories would enhance the flow and make the progression of information more sophisticated.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Terms like 'contributed', 'accounted for', and 'declined' are used appropriately in the context of data reporting. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, such as 'significant boost' and 'picked growth'. However, some phrasing is slightly unnatural, such as 'export material of the country' or 'picked growth'. Improving your collocation—for example, using 'export sector' instead of 'export material'—would help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are a few minor grammatical slips, such as 'in both year' (should be 'years') and 'which raised by 3%' (should be 'which rose by 3%'). While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the response from reaching the higher bands. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing past data will help improve your accuracy.

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

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