Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-10

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The younger sister of one of your friends is thinking about spending a year studying abroad as part of her university course. You did this recently, and she has asked you about your experience.

Write a letter to your friend's sister. In your letter

• tell her where you studied during your year abroad

• describe what you learnt about the country you studied in

• explain why your year abroad was helpful for your studies

Begin your letter as follows:
Dear........,

Student answer (Band 6.5)

Dear Sophie,

I hope you're doing well in life. I'm thrilled to know that you are planning to study your final year in abroad. I'd love to share my experience with you as much as possible.

Although it was a challenging , but it turned out be a life changing decision for me. I studied Healthcare Administration at KPU University which is in Surrey, Canada. The campus itself is very huge with lot of new courses and amenities. It is situated in city center which saved a lot of my travelling time.

I still cherish Canada very much because it is multi-cultural nation. I learnt pretty much about the country such as their languages, traditions, different cuisines. Moreover, It is very easy to find part -time job over there. Thus, you can do work while studying which helps you to learn some real life skills which makes you more independent.

Studying abroad proved to an asset for me because all international educational institutions follows practical approach rather than theoretical approach. On top of that, job market in Canada is really huge which helped me to get a good job. Consequently, boosted my career very much.

I hope you find this information useful and helps you to make your decision efficiently. Let me know if you need any help.

Best Wishes,

Ashu

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You address all three points clearly: you identify KPU University in Surrey, Canada, describe the country as multicultural and mention languages, traditions, cuisine and part-time work, then explain how practical learning and employment opportunities benefited you. The letter also has an appropriate friendly opening and closing, and the advice is relevant to Sophie’s decision. Your ideas are generally extended with reasons, such as how working while studying can build independence. However, some claims are broad—for example, that all international institutions favour practical learning—and the description of what you learnt about Canada could include a more specific personal example. More precise, individual details would make the account more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The letter is organised into clear paragraphs, with each body paragraph focusing on a different part of the task: your study location, your impressions of Canada, and the benefits for your studies and career. The progression is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “Moreover,” “Thus,” and “On top of that” help connect related points. The opening and closing also suit the informal purpose. At times, however, connectors are used somewhat mechanically, and the relationship between studying abroad and getting a job could be explained more directly. For example, “Consequently, boosted my career very much” does not clearly identify what caused the career benefit. Clearer links between ideas and more precise referencing would strengthen the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for a personal letter, including relevant terms such as “multi-cultural,” “traditions,” “practical approach,” and “independent.” These choices allow you to communicate your experience and its benefits. There are also some attempts at more descriptive language, such as “life changing decision” and “cherish Canada.” However, several word choices or collocations are unnatural or imprecise, including “final year in abroad,” “very huge,” and “job market … is really huge.” Some expressions are also vague, such as “learnt pretty much.” Aim for more natural combinations and precise wording—for instance, describe the scale of the job market or name a particular cultural experience. These improvements would make your vocabulary more flexible and accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “Although” and a reason clause beginning “which helped me.” Most of the message remains understandable, and you use past and present forms to discuss your experience and give advice. Some grammatical errors remain, however. “Although it was a challenging, but…” combines two contrasting structures; use either “Although it was challenging…” or “It was challenging, but…”. Other examples include “turned out be” instead of “turned out to be,” “proved to an asset” instead of “proved to be an asset,” and “institutions follows,” where the plural subject requires “follow.” The final sentence fragment, “Consequently, boosted my career,” also needs a subject. Check verb patterns, agreement and complete sentence structure.

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.