Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18

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 maps display the transformation of a college cafe before and after it was redesigned.

Overall, the cafe has undergone significant changes, including the construction of a salad bar, coffe bar, and the takeaway food facility. Another noticeable feature is the addition of outdoor seating and a barbecue area.

Before the redesign, the cafe had a serving area for all the food and drinks, which has been transformed to serve hot meals, while the kitchen remained unchanged. The former staff dining rooms have now been converted into a coffee bar and a takeaway food area, along with the subsequent addition of a salad bar just opposite the recycling bin.

The bins have now been replaced by recycling bins, although the toilets and the arrangement of chairs remained undisturbed after the cafe was redesigned. Another important inclusion is the extension of the cafe area to accomodate outdoor seating and a barbecue has been installed alongside it.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The candidate successfully covers all key features of the two maps, presenting a clear overview of the main changes, such as the introduction of the salad bar, coffee bar, outdoor seating, and barbecue area. The specific transformation of the serving area into hot meals and the conversion of the staff dining rooms are clearly reported. The response is accurate, well-grounded in the provided visual data, and satisfies all requirements of Academic Task 1 without any major omissions.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The report demonstrates a clear logical organization with an effective introduction, an overview paragraph, and well-sequenced body paragraphs detailing the specific alterations. Cohesive devices are used appropriately to guide the reader through the spatial changes between the 'before' and 'today' layouts. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and logically to separate the different sections of the building.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is appropriate for describing maps and physical changes, featuring items such as 'transformation', 'redesigned', 'converted', and 'subsequent addition'. There are minor spelling slips, such as 'coffe bar' and 'accomodate', but these do not impede communication. The range is sufficient for the task and demonstrates some flexibility in paraphrasing the visual prompts.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response employs a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Before the redesign, the cafe had a serving area... which has been transformed to serve hot meals...' Grammatical control is generally strong with frequent error-free sentences. Minor mechanical slips like the spelling of 'accomodate' occur, but punctuation and sentence boundaries are handled well throughout.

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

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