Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-16

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 6.0)

This pie chart illustrates the survey of the library users at a university. Overall, most of the library users are undergraduate students. Also, the survey shows that most students are satisfied with the helpful nature of the library staff. On the other hand, 20% of the users are not satisfied with the availability of the journals in the library.

The first pie chart shows the percentage of library users. Most of the library users are full-time undergraduate students. The fewest are the academic staff of the university. 25% of the library is used by full-time postgraduate students, and 16% are part-time postgraduates. Only 8% of users are of the distant learning courses.

If we look at the survey, most of the users are satisfied with the library's opening hours and the staff. 10% of the users are not satisfied with the availability of books; 20% are not ok with the journals' availability, and 19% are not happy with the reliability of wifi.

In conclusion, the number of unsatisfied users is far less than the number of satisfied users in terms of journals and wifi.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main features from both the pie chart and the table. An overview is provided in the first paragraph, noting that undergraduate students form the majority of users and mentioning general satisfaction trends. Key data points are cited accurately, such as full-time undergraduates accounting for 44%, academic staff making up the fewest users at 7%, and specific satisfaction metrics like the 20% dissatisfaction with journal availability. However, the response tends to list details rather than fully synthesising comparisons across the datasets, which places it firmly within Band 6. To reach a higher band, the student should integrate the data more fluidly and draw clearer comparative insights between user categories and satisfaction levels.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression from the pie chart data to the satisfaction table, concluding with a brief summary statement. Paragraphing is attempted, grouping related ideas together such as the user demographics in the second paragraph and satisfaction rates in the third. However, cohesive devices are sometimes mechanical or repetitive, such as starting multiple sentences with 'Most of the library users' or 'The first pie chart shows'. Reference words are occasionally vague, and transitions between paragraphs lack sophistication. Nevertheless, the progression of ideas is easy to follow, making Band 6 the most appropriate descriptor for this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, accurately employing terms such as 'percentage', 'postgraduate students', 'availability', and 'satisfaction'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some phrases are slightly unnatural, such as 'helpful nature of the library staff' or 'not ok with the journals' availability'. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and errors do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, the student should incorporate a wider variety of precise academic synonyms and less common lexical items related to data reporting and statistics.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as conditional structures ('If we look at the survey...') and coordinate clauses. There is a reasonable level of grammatical accuracy; simple sentences are mostly error-free, and complex structures do not impede communication. Minor errors are present, such as 'distant learning courses' instead of 'distance learning', and awkward phrasing like 'the fewest are the academic staff'. Punctuation is generally correct. Because there is a reasonable mix of structures with controlled accuracy alongside minor errors, a band score of 6.0 is justified.

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

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