Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

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

The plans below show a college cafe before it was redesigned and how it looks now.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The maps illustrate the changes that have taken place in a college café before and after its redesign.

Overall, it is clear that the main layout of the café remains similar, but several facilities have been modified to offer more food options and services to visitors. Looking at the details, in the past, the kitchen had a serving area for all food and drink. In the new design, this area is now specifically used for hot meals, and a new salad bar has been added on the left side of the café.

In addition, the two staff dining rooms in the center have been replaced by a take away food section and a coffee bar. Finally, the toilets remain in the bottom right corner, while the bin area next to them has been updated to a recycling bin.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response provides a clear overview and identifies the main changes, such as the kitchen modification and the addition of the salad bar. However, the response is 138 words long, failing to meet the 150-word minimum requirement. This under-length significantly impacts the development of the response, as it prevents a more detailed analysis of the spatial changes or the seating arrangements, which are key features of the plans. While the main features are highlighted, the lack of sufficient detail and the failure to meet the length requirement limit the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that follow a sensible progression. Cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'Finally', and 'Looking at the details' are used effectively to link ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, separating the general overview from the specific details. The flow of information is easy to follow, and the relationship between the 'before' and 'after' states is clearly established throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally appropriate for the task, using terms like 'redesign', 'modified', 'facilities', and 'specifically'. The range is sufficient to convey the necessary information clearly. However, the vocabulary is somewhat basic and lacks the variety or precision that would be expected for a higher band score. There are no significant errors in word choice, but the response does not demonstrate a wide range of less common lexical items or sophisticated collocations related to describing maps or spatial changes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'The maps illustrate the changes that have taken place...' and 'In the new design, this area is now specifically used for hot meals'. Grammar and punctuation are generally accurate, and there are no errors that impede communication. While the range of structures is somewhat limited, the control over the sentences produced is good. To achieve a higher band, more varied complex structures could be incorporated to describe the spatial relationships more dynamically.

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

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