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 results of the library students and other academic staff survey at a university.

Overall, the chart shows the percentage of library users in various categories such as full-time undergraduate, part-time graduate and academic staff. The table shows the user satisfaction in percentage in different sections.

In the pie chart, the highest usage is 44% that is used by full-time undergraduate learners in the higher education department and it was a dominant contribution. After that, quarter of library users were full-time postgraduates who 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 participaten in the library.

In the table, the satisfaction level about the library opening hours and helpfulness of staff is higher in satisfied category that is 65% and 95% respectively and the fairly satisfied category is much lower than very satisfied group. Availability of books, availability of journals as well as reliability of WI-FI are highest in the satisfaction level than the fairly satisfied students of the university. But the ratio of dissatisfied students is much lower.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of both the chart and the table. An overview is provided, and key data points are highlighted, such as the highest proportion of library users being full-time undergraduates at 44% and the high satisfaction rates for staff helpfulness (95%). Comparisons are made appropriately between categories, such as noting that distance learning students and academic staff accounted for 8% and 7% respectively. However, there are minor lapses in precision, such as describing 25% as a 'quarter' which is accurate, but some descriptions of the table's satisfaction levels lack detailed comparative commentary. Overall, the response meets the requirements for Task Achievement at a Band 6.5 level, as all parts are addressed with relevant information, though some points could be more fully elaborated.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organised into clear paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by an overall summary, an analysis of the chart, and finally an analysis of the table. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In the pie chart', and 'In the table' are used to structure the text effectively. However, referencing and cohesion within sentences occasionally feel mechanical or slightly awkward, such as in the sentence 'While 16% students contributed in library that were part-time postgraduate students.' Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to group related ideas. Progression is generally clear throughout, earning a solid Band 6.0 for Coherence and Cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms related to the prompt such as 'proportion', 'satisfaction level', 'academic staff', and 'undergraduate learners'. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, but these are sometimes accompanied by awkward collocations or word choices, such as 'that is used by' instead of 'accounting for', and 'contributed in library'. Spelling is generally accurate, but lexical control is occasionally limited, resulting in repetitive phrasing like 'satisfaction level' and 'fairly satisfied'. These minor inaccuracies do not impede communication, placing the Lexical Resource firmly at Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, using relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'who were 25%' and 'while 16% students...'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing throughout the response, such as 'the library students and other academic staff survey', '44% that is used by', and 'almost same as the participaten in the library'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but grammatical inaccuracies occur with regularity, particularly in verb forms and prepositions. While these errors rarely impede the overall communication of the data, they restrict the score to a Band 6.0.

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