Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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)

A college cafe should be a place where students can relax and get a space of their own to take a break from their classes. The new design features additional outdoor seating that makes use of the space so that more students can be seated. Students usually struggle in finding a spot for themselves in college cafes so the extra seating is a great addition to the plan. Changing part of the staff dining room into a coffee bar really shows that students are kept as the priority and their needs, such as coffee, are kept in mind. Instead of having to go outside to get coffee, students can now have an easy access to it. Adding recycling bins is a great sustainable idea and it will subconsciously teach the students to recycle trash. Providing students with fresh hot meals is very important instead of just serving everything at once and letting the food go cold. Every student has different timings in which they eat their meals so adjusting the plan according to that and providing hot meals on order basis is the best decision. Furthermore, the salad bar encourages students to eat healthier and the take away food option separate from the hot meals provides flexibilty for the student. In conclusion, I think the new plan really prioritizes what a student needs from a college cafe and the old plan just provided the bare minimum.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response identifies several genuine changes, including outdoor seating, a coffee bar, recycling bins, hot meals and a salad bar, and it gives a clear overall opinion that the redesign better serves students. However, it does not fulfil the central purpose of an Academic Task 1 report: it mainly evaluates the benefits rather than objectively summarising and comparing the plans. Important spatial changes are missing, such as the former staff dining rooms becoming takeaway and coffee-bar areas, and the toilets remaining in the same place. Some claims are not supported by the plan—for example, that hot meals are made to order or that students previously had to go outside for coffee. Describe what changed and where, then reserve interpretation for neither the overview nor the details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas are connected through phrases such as “Furthermore” and “In conclusion,” and the response has a recognisable opening and ending. However, the progression is driven by opinions about student benefits rather than a clear comparison of the two layouts. Several points are presented in a long sequence without grouping related changes, so the reader does not get a systematic picture of the café. The conclusion repeats the evaluative stance instead of summarising the main physical changes. Organise the report into an overview followed by details grouped by area—for example, changes inside the café and additions outside—and use comparison language to link the old and new plans.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of vocabulary, including relevant terms such as “outdoor seating,” “recycling bins,” “salad bar” and “take away food.” It also attempts more specific expressions, but some choices are informal, imprecise or awkward for an objective report: “a space of their own,” “a great addition,” and “the bare minimum” sound evaluative, while “on order basis” is not a natural collocation. There is also a spelling error in “flexibilty.” Aim for neutral, precise language that describes the plan rather than judging it. Using terms such as “was replaced by,” “was added,” and “remained unchanged” would make the vocabulary more suitable and accurate for this task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

There is a good variety of sentence forms, including complex clauses such as “Students usually struggle in finding a spot for themselves in college cafes so the extra seating is a great addition to the plan” and “Furthermore, the salad bar encourages students to eat healthier.” Most sentences are clear, and punctuation generally supports the meaning. A few grammatical patterns are less controlled: “struggle in finding” is better expressed as “struggle to find,” and “an easy access” uses an unnecessary article with the uncountable noun “access.” The sentence beginning “Providing students with fresh hot meals…” also shifts into an unsupported explanation. Continue using complex structures, while checking article use and verb patterns, and favour concise factual sentences for describing the plans.

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.