Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 Richa,

I hope you are doing well. Yesterday, your brother told me that you are planning to spend a year studying abroad as part of a university exchange program. I am writing this letter to share my experience with you from my program.

To begin with, I went to Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. That was a one-year fellowship program in robotics. Also, I was part of an international student group; therefore, I got a chance to engage with various students from across the globe.

I went to Canada for the first time; hence, I was eager to try out many new things. First, I learnt about their culture, traditions and language. Also, learnt many life skills such as, money management, communication, and household chores.

I learnt various things, starting from technology, problem-solving ability, and many more. However, the main attraction was practical labs, which helped to get hands-on experience of coding and assembly of robotics machines.

I would say it was the best trip I ever had. Please let me know if you have any more questions; I would like to help you.

Yours faithfully,

Manan.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points of the prompt. You clearly identify the location (Carleton University, Ottawa), describe cultural and life-skill learning, and explain the academic benefits of the practical labs. The tone is appropriate for a friendly letter, and the purpose is clear from the outset. To reach a higher band, you could expand slightly more on the 'why' regarding your studies; for instance, explaining how the hands-on experience specifically prepared you for your current career or future academic goals would add more depth to the development of your ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. You use cohesive devices such as 'To begin with', 'Also', and 'However' to link your ideas. While the progression is generally smooth, some transitions feel a bit mechanical or repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'Also' at the start of sentences. Improving the variety of your linking words and ensuring that referencing (e.g., 'that' or 'this') is used more fluidly would enhance the flow of the text and help you achieve a higher score in this criterion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'fellowship program', 'hands-on experience', and 'engage with'. The language is natural and appropriate for the context. However, there is some repetition of basic verbs like 'learnt' and 'went'. To improve, try to incorporate more precise synonyms or collocations to describe your experiences. For example, instead of 'learnt many life skills', you could use 'acquired essential life skills' or 'developed a sense of independence'. The vocabulary is sufficient to communicate your message clearly without any strain on the reader.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as the conditional 'if you have any more questions' and the use of 'therefore' to connect clauses. There are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'the best trip I ever had' (should be 'have ever had') and the missing subject in 'Also, learnt many life skills'. Punctuation is generally correct, though the comma usage after 'such as' is unnecessary. The errors present are non-systematic and do not impede communication, which is consistent with a band 6.5-7.0 level.

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

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