Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-05

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 Neha,

I hope you are doing well. Rahul informed me about your decision to move abroad to continue your education program. I more than happy to advise you on this as I have gone through the same situation.

For my studies I chose University of British Columbia in Vancouver Canada. This institution is one of the best places to study medicines. Their infrastructure as well as curriculum is excellent. Moreover, the university organises a placement events for graduates.

While studying in Canada, I learned one thing for sure that there is no lack of opportunities to grow. You need to be focused on what your goals are. Everyone here is supporting and encouraging that your success will be rewarded by your efforts in life.

Nevertheless, my whole year away from my family and friends made me stronger ethan ever. This decision took me towards my goal of becoming independent and strong. I hope you have the best experience ever in your new life.

Best wishes

Priyanka

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter addresses all three bullet points required by the prompt. You clearly state where you studied (University of British Columbia), describe your learning experience regarding the culture and opportunities, and explain the personal benefits of the year abroad. The tone is appropriate for a friendly letter. However, the development of the third bullet point—how the experience was helpful for your studies specifically—is a bit vague. While you mention becoming 'independent and strong,' linking this more directly to your academic progress or specific skills gained for your university course would have strengthened the response and pushed it into a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the prompt, which helps the reader follow your ideas easily. You use some cohesive devices like 'Moreover' and 'Nevertheless' to link sentences. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical or abrupt. For instance, the jump from discussing university infrastructure to the general culture in Canada could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate for a letter format, and the progression of ideas is generally clear throughout the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'infrastructure,' 'curriculum,' and 'encouraging.' There are some minor word choice issues, such as 'placement events' (usually just 'placements' or 'placement opportunities') and the slightly awkward phrasing 'continue your education program.' While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, it lacks the precision and variety of less common lexical items that would be expected at a higher band level. The spelling is generally accurate, and the tone remains consistent and appropriate for the context of the letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some noticeable grammatical errors, such as the missing verb in 'I more than happy' (should be 'I am more than happy') and the typo 'ethan' instead of 'than.' Additionally, 'Everyone here is supporting and encouraging that your success will be rewarded' is slightly awkward in its construction. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and proofreading for small slips would significantly improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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