Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-08-28

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 graph illustrates proportion of a country's exports in distinct categories namely: petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

From an overall standpoint, petroleum products contribute the highest amount of export earnings in both the years compared to all the other categories. Most of the categories increased in exports from the past year except gems and jewellery.

In terms of totality, petroleum products had the highest contribution in 2015 approximately $60 billions, followed by engineered goods which was around $55 billions. The category which produced least exports was textiles which was around $40 billions.

Whereas, the exports earnings were relatively higher in 2016. Petroleum products as well as engineered goods produced almost the same amount of exports which was around $70 billions. Gems and Jewellery declined from around $53 to$ 50 billions. Agriculture remained stable throughout both year approximately $45 billions. The industry which rose significantly was textile industry.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You successfully highlighted the highest contributors and noted the trends (increases/decreases) across the categories. However, the analysis is slightly hindered by inaccuracies in data reporting. For instance, you mention petroleum products were $60 billion in 2015, but the data provided in the prompt (if viewed as a standard table) should be interpreted with more precision. Additionally, while you mention the percentage change, you do not explicitly integrate these figures into your summary, which would have strengthened the 'key features' aspect of your response.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific data points. The progression of ideas is generally clear. You use some cohesive devices such as 'In terms of totality' and 'Whereas', though some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed data analysis. To reach a higher band, ensure that the relationship between sentences is more fluid and that referencing (e.g., 'both year' instead of 'both years') is consistently accurate to avoid minor disruptions in flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'contribute', and 'significantly'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'In terms of totality' (which is not a standard phrase in this context) and 'both year' (should be plural). You attempt to use specific terminology related to the graph, which is good. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that pluralization and word forms are accurate throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical slips, such as 'illustrates proportion' (missing an article), 'in both the years' (unnecessary article), and 'both year' (should be plural). Punctuation is generally acceptable, though there are minor issues with spacing around symbols (e.g., '$ 50'). The majority of your sentences are understandable, but the frequency of these small errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and article usage will help improve your accuracy.

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

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