Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart and table below show the results of a survey of library users at a university.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Categories of library users

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The pie and table charts explain the outcome of the proportions of very satisfied, fairly satisfied and not satisfied students in the university's library while showing us the type of students we can find there.

Overall, we can see the majority of the students who spent their time studying there are full time undergrads students with the percentage of 44%. After this about 25% of the individuals are full-time post graduates working on their thesis and projects. We can see 16% of the people there are part time postgraduates while, only 7% of them are either academic staff or some people enrolled in distance learning courses with the proportion of 8%.

However, we can see about 65% of the students are very satisfied with the opening timings of the library but 35% of people find it inconvenient.

About 95% of the individuals find the staff working there very helpful but only 5% of the people seem to be partly satisfied with them. With the availability of the books for students there about 50% of them are very satisfied with the collection and 40% seems to be okay with it and 10% of these students don't like that at all. It also shows that about 45-48% of the students there are happy with the availability of the journals and wifi therefore, 33-35% of them were fairly satisfied with it but 19-20% students were not satisfied at all.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the prompt by summarising both the categories of library users shown in the pie chart and the survey results detailing satisfaction levels from the table. The main features are identified, such as full-time undergraduates forming the largest demographic at 44%, followed by full-time postgraduates. Key comparisons are made across the categories, and specific satisfaction metrics regarding opening times, staff, books, journals, and wifi are reported. However, some data points are grouped rather vaguely or inaccurately towards the end, such as stating 'about 45-48%' and '33-35%', which obscures exact figures from the table. Despite minor inaccuracies in data extraction, the response provides an overall clear summary of the visual data. Band 6 reflects that all parts of the task are addressed, though some areas could be more precisely reported.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement and follows a logical progression, starting with an introductory overview of the charts, moving to user categories, and concluding with satisfaction levels. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories and survey results. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'After this', and 'However'. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel mechanical or repetitive, particularly the repeated use of 'we can see' and 'about' throughout the text. Additionally, the transition between paragraphs could be smoother to better highlight relationships between the datasets. Overall, the organisation is coherent enough to guide the reader through the information without difficulty, aligning well with the descriptors for Band 6.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, successfully using terms such as 'proportions', 'demographic', 'inconvenient', and 'availability'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'undergrads', 'postgraduates', and 'distance learning courses'. However, word choice and collocation errors occur, such as 'opening timings' instead of 'opening hours', and vague expressions like 'some people enrolled'. Spelling is generally accurate, but the overall lexical range lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands. The vocabulary is minimally adequate to convey the intended meaning and communicate the key features of the charts clearly, supporting a Band 6 score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating some control over sentence structure with clauses introduced by 'while', 'where', and 'although'. There are several error-free sentences, particularly in the opening paragraphs. However, a number of grammatical errors and awkward phrasing persist, such as 'the majority of the students who spent their time studying there are full time undergrads students' (faulty pluralisation and article use) and run-on structures containing multiple clauses linked loosely by conjunctions. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and errors do not impede communication, but the frequency of grammatical slips prevents the response from reaching a higher band. These characteristics fit the Band 6 descriptor well.

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

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