Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-22

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 given two maps compare a college cafe before and after it was redesigned.

Overall, we can see that after the renovation the staff dining area was transformed into a coffee bar and takeaway food room. A salad bar was introduced. The number of waste bins was increased. An outdoor seating area with live barbecue was also constructed.

In the first map we see a simple college cafe. After entering the cafe you had a restroom and a trash bin on your left. Straight ahead, there was the dining room for the workers of the cafe. Crossing that, you would get the serving counter and the kitchen on the right side. The rest of the area had tables and chairs for sitting.

The first map had a lot of vacant area that was put to use after the redesign. Once, you enter the cafe you will see more bins. The staff area is completely changed into a coffee bar and room for takeaway food. Now, you also have a salad bar at the end of the main gallery. South from the salad bar you will find a door that will lead you to the new barbecue setting having outdoor seating.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all key features of the cafe redesign, including the transformation of the staff area, the addition of the salad bar, and the new outdoor seating. The overview is clear and highlights the main changes effectively. However, the description of the 'before' state is slightly repetitive and could have been more concise to allow for a more analytical comparison. The mention of 'vacant area' is a good observation, but the report would benefit from more precise spatial language to describe the layout changes, such as 'relocated' or 'reconfigured' rather than just listing changes.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the 'before' and 'after' states. Cohesive devices such as 'In the first map', 'After entering', and 'South from' are used to guide the reader through the spatial layout. While the progression is clear, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical. The use of referencing is generally accurate, though the flow could be improved by using more varied linking phrases to connect the two time periods more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is sufficient for the task, with accurate use of terms like 'renovation', 'transformed', and 'constructed'. There is an attempt to use specific terminology related to the layout, such as 'main gallery' and 'serving counter'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and some phrasing is repetitive (e.g., 'the cafe' is used frequently). To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise descriptive vocabulary related to spatial changes and architectural features to avoid basic sentence structures.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some minor errors, such as 'The first map had a lot of vacant area' (which is slightly awkward phrasing) and 'barbecue setting having outdoor seating'. Punctuation is generally correct, and the meaning is always clear. While the student uses some complex structures, they are not always used with full flexibility. The majority of sentences are error-free, but the range of structures could be expanded to include more sophisticated passive constructions or varied clause types to improve the overall flow.

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.