Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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 table illustrates the outcomes of a survey of library users at a university. Overall, pie chart had five categories of library users in which full-time undergraduate had higher percentage than the others while academic staff had lower proportion. Part-time postgraduate was double of the distance learning users. In table, library users had three types of satisfaction level in which helpfulness of staff was greater figure for satisfaction level. However, library users were least satisfaction percentage in availability of books and journals and also in reliability of wifi. Looking at the details of pie chart, full-time undergraduate constituted 44% that was higher than others. Full-time postgraduate spent less time and recorded 25%. Part-time postgraduate had 16% that was higher than all courses (distance learning), 8%. Meanwhile, academic staff had 7% that lesser than other users. In Table, helpfulness of staff and library opening hours had higher satisfaction users that was 95% and 65% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main user group accurately: full-time undergraduates account for 44%, while academic staff are the smallest group at 7%. You also note that staff helpfulness has the strongest satisfaction result. However, the overview is incomplete and partly inaccurate: books and journals are not the least-satisfactory categories overall, since opening hours and staff helpfulness have no dissatisfied users. The response gives only the very-satisfied figures for two table rows and omits important comparisons across the remaining categories, including the 20% dissatisfied with journals. The claim that full-time postgraduates “spent less time” is unsupported by the chart. The response is 148 words, below the 150-word minimum. Cover the table more fully and ensure every comparison reflects the data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic structure: an introduction and overview are followed by details about the pie chart and a final sentence on the table. This gives the reader some organisation, and phrases such as “Overall” and “Meanwhile” signal relationships. However, progression is limited: the table is introduced in the overview but receives only one brief detail sentence, with no systematic comparison of its five categories. The overview also combines several points in a long sequence, making the main features less clear. Some linking is awkward or repetitive, such as “In table” and repeated use of “that”. Use separate, balanced paragraphs for the user categories and satisfaction results, and group the table figures by notable similarities or contrasts.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant task vocabulary, including “constituted”, “proportion”, “satisfaction level” and “percentage”, and the meaning is generally understandable. There is some variation in how you describe the chart data. However, several word choices and collocations are unnatural or imprecise: “higher satisfaction users” should describe satisfaction levels, not users, and “least satisfaction percentage” is unclear. “Spent less time” incorrectly suggests a time measure rather than a share of users, while “had lower proportion” is also awkward. Spelling “wifi” is understandable, but “Wi-Fi” is the standard form. Aim for precise reporting language such as “accounted for”, “recorded” and “the proportion who were dissatisfied”, and avoid using “higher” where “largest” or “most satisfied” is intended.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a contrast with “while” and a relative clause in “in which helpfulness of staff was…”. The main message is usually recoverable, but errors in agreement, articles and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some sentences awkward. For example, “The pie chart and table illustrates” has a plural subject with a singular verb, and “full-time undergraduate had higher percentage” is missing articles and a plural form. “Part-time postgraduate was double” also needs a clearer grammatical construction, such as “the proportion of part-time postgraduates was double that of distance learners.” Practise accurate comparisons and subject–verb agreement, and check articles and plural nouns when describing categories and percentages.

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