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 survey of students 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, a quarter of library users were full-time postgraduates who were 25%. While 16% of 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 participation 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
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers both parts of the visual data successfully. The student reports the main features of the chart, noting that full-time undergraduates constitute the largest category at 44%, followed by full-time postgraduates (25%), part-time postgraduates (16%), distance learners (8%), and academic staff (7%). For the table, the writer outlines satisfaction levels, accurately pointing out that opening hours and staff helpfulness have high satisfaction ratings (65% and 95% respectively), while mentioning books, journals, and Wi-Fi. An overview is present at the beginning of the second paragraph, although it is slightly mechanical ('Overall, the chart shows...'). The comparison of categories and satisfaction ratings is generally accurate, meeting the requirements of Academic Task 1.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response has a clear overall arrangement and follows a logical progression, moving from an introductory statement to a description of the chart, and finally to the table. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different parts of the visual data. Cohesive devices are employed to connect ideas, such as 'Overall', 'In the pie chart', 'After that', and 'In the table'. However, some referencing is slightly clunky or repetitive, such as 'that is used by' and 'that were part-time postgraduate students', which affects the smoothness of the flow. Overall, the organization is coherent and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms such as 'illustrate', 'dominant contribution', 'satisfaction level', and 'ratio'. However, there are some awkward word choices and phrasing, such as 'participated in library that were part-time postgraduate students' and 'is higher in satisfied category'. There are also minor inaccuracies in collocation and preposition usage. Nevertheless, the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the main features of the data clearly without impeding communication.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. The student attempts complex structures using relative clauses and subordinate clauses (e.g., 'the highest usage is 44% that is used by full-time undergraduate learners...'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward structures, such as 'a quarter of library users were full-time postgraduates who were 25%' (redundant) and 'distance learning and academic staff almost same as the participation'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while errors are present, they rarely impede communication.
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.