Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-18
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 chart and table illustrate the survey of library students and other academic staff at a university.
Overall, the chart shows the percentage of library users in various categories such as full-time graduate, part-time graduate also for academic staff. And the table shows the users satisfaction in percentage in different sections.
In the pie chart, the higher usage is 44% that are used by full-time undergraduate learners in the higher education department and it was a dominant contribution. After that, one third of library users were full-time post graduates which were 25%. While, 16% students contributed in library that were part-time postgraduate students. Also 8% and 7% users were distance learning and academic staff almost same as the participate in the library.
In the table, the satisfaction level about the library opening hours and helpfulness of staff are higher in very satisfied category that is 65% and 95% respectively and fairly satisfied category is much lower than very satisfied section.Availibilty of books, availability of journals as well as reliability of WI-FI are higher in satifaction level than fairly satisfied students of the university. But the ratio of dissatisfied students is much lower.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by reporting on both the pie chart and the table. The main features are identified, such as the highest category of library users being full-time undergraduates at 44%, and the high satisfaction rates for library opening hours (65%) and helpfulness of staff (95%). Comparisons are made appropriately across the data. However, there is some minor inaccuracy in reporting the percentage for full-time postgraduates (calling it 'one third' when the chart shows 25%, which is one quarter). Overall, the overview is clear and the selection of main features satisfies the requirements for a Band 6.5 to 7.0, fitting comfortably at Band 6.0 due to slight inaccuracies in data interpretation.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a coherent overall arrangement, divided into an introduction, overview, chart body paragraph, and table body paragraph. Paragraphing is used appropriately. Cohesive devices are employed, such as 'Overall', 'In the pie chart', 'After that', and 'In the table', helping to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing and transitions are at times mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'also for academic staff' and 'Availibilty of books, availability of journals as well as reliability of WI-FI are higher in satifaction level than fairly satisfied students'. These minor structural slips place this criterion at a solid Band 6.0.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as 'percentage', 'survey', 'dominant contribution', and 'satisfaction level'. However, there are notable spelling errors ('Availibilty', 'satifaction') and some awkward word choices or collocations, such as 'the higher usage is 44% that are used by' and 'ratio of dissatisfied students'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with occasional inaccuracies. This performance aligns with the Band 6 descriptor, where vocabulary is adequate for the task despite some mechanical errors and spelling lapses.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. Examples of complex structures include 'the higher usage is 44% that are used by full-time undergraduate learners...'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'distence learning and academic staff almost same as the participate in the library' and 'are higher in satifaction level than fairly satisfied students'. Punctuation is generally functional, but errors in prepositional use and relative clauses are frequent. These errors do not impede communication, placing the response squarely at Band 6.0.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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