Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-13

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 6.5)

The two plans compare the layout of a college cafe, before and after it was redesigned.

Overall, the cafe has undergone significant changes, with several new facilities introduced and the layout being reorganized to make better use of available space.

Looking first at the original layout, there was no provision for outdoor seating, while the interior contained a lot of tables and chairs. There was only one serving area for all kind of food and drinks. Two separate dining rooms beside the serving area, were reserved for the staff, while a bin was located near the entrance.

However, in the redesigned plan one of the staff dining rooms has been converted into a takeaway food area while the other has been transformed into a coffee bar. Moreover, a salad bar is situated at the left side of the cafe. In addition, a barbecue corner has been created along the outside seating area. Moreover, the regular bin at the entrance has been replaced with recycling bins.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all key features of the plans, including the addition of the takeaway area, coffee bar, salad bar, and barbecue corner. You successfully identified the removal of the staff dining rooms and the introduction of recycling bins. The overview is clear and highlights the main trends effectively. To reach a higher band, ensure you include more precise spatial references (e.g., 'in the top-right corner' or 'adjacent to the entrance') to help the reader visualize the changes more clearly. Overall, the information is well-selected and reported accurately against the provided visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs focusing on the 'before' and 'after' states. Cohesive devices such as 'Looking first at', 'However', 'Moreover', and 'In addition' are used to guide the reader through the comparison. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different stages of the cafe's development. The use of referencing is generally clear, though some transitions could be varied slightly to avoid a repetitive structure at the start of sentences.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the changes, using terms like 'redesigned', 'converted', 'transformed', and 'provision'. The word choice is generally accurate and appropriate for a report. There are no significant spelling errors. To improve, try to incorporate more specific collocations related to spatial descriptions, such as 'occupying the space where...' or 'situated in the vicinity of...'. The current vocabulary is adequate for the task, but adding more sophisticated descriptive language would elevate the response to a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures effectively. Most sentences are grammatically accurate, and punctuation is generally correct. There are minor slips, such as 'all kind of food' (should be 'all kinds of food') and the unnecessary comma in 'Two separate dining rooms beside the serving area, were reserved'. Despite these minor errors, the meaning is always clear, and the grammar does not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, aim for a greater variety of complex grammatical structures, such as passive voice constructions or relative clauses, to describe the changes more fluidly.

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

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