Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-28

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 two maps illustrate how the college cafe looked before and after being refurbished.

Overall, the college cafe has undergone significant changes, with many original features being removed and replaced. The serving area for all types of food and drinks were replaced by hot meals, and many other facilities have been added in the central area, including takeaway food facilities, a coffee bar and salad bar, while bins and toilets remain unchanged.

Before it was redesigned, there was a space in the kitchen for serving foods and drinks were replaced by a hot meals area. There was many changes in the center of the café, the rooms fixed for staff dining were replaced by takeaway food and a coffee bar, and there was a salad bar added on the northern side of the café. Moreover, the recycling bins, toilets and area for tables and chairs remain unchanged.

Outside of the café, more facilities are available after being redesigned, including an outdoor seating area that contains a table in the center and surrounded by chairs. Furthermore, a barbecue area is also provided on the north-west corner of the café.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student covers most parts of the task, providing an overview of the main changes and detailing specific alterations such as the conversion of staff dining rooms into takeaway food and coffee bar facilities, and the addition of an outdoor seating and barbecue area. However, there are some inaccuracies and contradictions in the reporting of features; for instance, the student states that the salad bar was added on the 'northern side' when the visual data clearly shows it on the western wall, and mentions that toilets remain unchanged while also repeating details confusingly in paragraphs two and three. Despite these shortcomings, a clear summary of the overall transformation is presented, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged into four paragraphs, including an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the changes. There is a logical overall structure, and the writer attempts to use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Before it was redesigned', and 'Furthermore'. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or faulty, and there are repetitive statements between the second and third paragraphs regarding what changed and what remained unchanged. Paragraphing is adequate, but the logical progression is hindered by slight redundancy and awkward transitions. This corresponds to the Band 6.0 descriptors.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully using terms like 'refurbished', 'redesigned', 'facilities', and 'transformations'. Less common lexical items are attempted, such as 'significant changes' and 'recycling bins'. However, there are notable word choice and collocation errors, as seen in phrases like 'serving foods and drinks were replaced by a hot meals area' (grammatical/lexical mismatch) and placing the barbecue on the 'north-west corner' when it is south-west. Vocabulary is sufficient to communicate the main points, but errors prevent it from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The two maps illustrate how the college cafe looked...' and 'Before it was redesigned, there was a space...'. However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are several errors, including subject-verb agreement issues ('The serving area... were replaced') and awkward phrasing ('There was many changes'). Punctuation and simple structures are generally handled well, but errors in complex forms persist and occasionally cause slight strain for the reader. This performance aligns with Band 6.0.

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

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