Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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 chart and the matrix illustrate the responses to a questionnaire of library users in the higher educational institute.

Overall, the pie chart shows that the largest group of library users are full-time undergraduates at 44%, while the smallest proportion is 7% of teaching staff. However, the metrics describes the level of satisfaction of multiple groups where the customer service staff have the highest satisfaction level at 95% and the lowest moderate level which is 5% with 0% not satisfied.

The pie chart shows a 7% of teaching staff proportion and proportion of distance learning is 8%. On the other hand, working graduate students made up 8% part of the chart. Meanwhile, 16% were regular postgraduate students and full-time postgraduates had 25% proportion. Finally, full-time undergraduates with the highest proportion was 44%.

Furthermore, the matrix shows the level of satisfaction between multiple categories, where service hours category had 65% highly satisfied and 35% moderately satisfaction levels having 0% of dissatisfaction. For customer services staff, the figures were 95%, 5%, 0%, respectively. Availability of books had 50% of immensely satisfaction proportion along with 40% and 10% of fairly and not satisfaction level. Journal access had 45% of highest satisfaction, 35% of fair satisfaction, and 20% of dissatisfaction levels. Finally, network had 48% of extremely satisfied and the remaining two figures are 33% and 19%.

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 adequate overview is provided in the second paragraph, highlighting the highest and lowest categories for both visuals. For instance, the student correctly notes that full-time undergraduates are the largest group at 44% and academic staff are the smallest at 7%. Furthermore, data points from the satisfaction table are accurately referenced, such as the helpfulness of staff scoring 95% very satisfied. However, there is a slight misinterpretation regarding the labels in the matrix, referring to 'helpfulness of staff' as 'customer service staff'. Overall, the key information is well selected and presented, fulfilling the requirements for Band 6.5 to 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, beginning with an introduction and overview, followed by separate body paragraphs for the pie chart and the table. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Meanwhile', 'On the other hand', and 'Furthermore' are used to guide the reader through the data. However, some referencing is slightly mechanical or repetitive, and paragraph transitions could be smoother. For instance, 'Meanwhile, 16% were regular postgraduate students and full-time postgraduates had 25% proportion' follows a somewhat disjointed listing style rather than fluid comparative analysis. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different data sets, meeting the criteria for a Band 6.0 or 6.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common terms such as 'proportion', 'metrics', 'dissatisfaction', and 'immensely satisfaction'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation errors throughout the response, such as 'metrics describes' instead of 'table illustrates', 'customer service staff' instead of 'helpfulness of staff', and 'immensely satisfaction proportion' instead of 'immense satisfaction' or 'high satisfaction'. Spelling is generally accurate, but awkward phrasing prevents the response from achieving a higher lexical band. The vocabulary used is sufficient to communicate the main points clearly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'Overall, the pie chart shows that the largest group... while the smallest proportion is...'. There are several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing constructions, such as 'where the customer service staff have the highest satisfaction level at 95% and the lowest moderate level which is 5% with 0% not satisfied' and 'service hours category had 65% highly satisfied and 35% moderately satisfaction levels'. Despite these errors, meaning is generally clear and communication is not impeded. The student demonstrates control over basic sentence forms, supporting a Band 6.0 score.

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