Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-10-13

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

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

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Dear Reshma,

I hope you are keeping well. I was pleased to hear that you are considering to spend a year abroad for your university course as I did. I am happy to share what I know before you apply.

When I applied for studying abroad for a year, I went to Texas, USA for the university and opted for cloud computing course. We have different options of universities to choose from according to our educational and financial needs.

Studing in the US was a great experience. The way profeessors conduct the lectures are different from our country. The professors focus more on practical knowledge rather than theoritical knowledge. I have learnt a lot of different things about the country. Education and exams here are more focused on practical knowledge and exam are mostly practicals. Moreover, students only have to attend 2 classes each week for a particular subject and professor takes 1 doubt class every week.

I got to learn various different softwares and algorithms which makes foundation of cloud computing but was not included in indian university's syllabus. Completing 1 year of university from abroad enhanced my resume. Finally, I got to experience education in other country which is priceless.

I hope this information makes your decision easier.

All the best for your future plans!!

Warm regards,

Tarunjeet

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response6.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall6.0

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The letter addresses all three requested points: you identify Texas in the USA as your destination, describe differences in teaching and assessment, and explain that the year added cloud-computing knowledge and strengthened your résumé. The details about practical learning and weekly classes make the experience relevant to the reader. This meets the task well, and the friendly opening and closing suit the purpose. To make the response more complete, develop the country description beyond university practices—for example, include something you learned about everyday life or culture. Also explain more directly how the new software and algorithms helped your university studies, rather than mainly noting that they were absent from the Indian syllabus. These additions would make the ideas more fully supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence: you introduce your experience, describe studying in the US, explain academic benefits, and close with encouragement. Paragraphing helps distinguish these stages, and linking expressions such as “Moreover” and “Finally” guide the reader. Overall, the letter is easy to follow. Some connections are less smooth, however: “I have learnt a lot of different things about the country” is followed by details about education, so the reference to the country is broad and slightly unclear. The final paragraph also moves quickly from software and algorithms to résumé benefits. Use clearer links to show how each point supports your studies, and vary transitions rather than relying mainly on additive sequencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “practical knowledge,” “cloud computing,” “algorithms,” and “syllabus,” which helps communicate the academic experience. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “enhanced my resume.” However, several word choices and spelling errors reduce precision and naturalness: “different options of universities,” “various different softwares,” and “makes foundation” are awkward or inaccurate. Spelling slips such as “Studing,” “profeessors,” and “theoritical” are noticeable. Aim for accurate collocations and avoid redundant combinations such as “various different.” A more precise range would help you describe both the country and the academic benefits with greater flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The letter includes both straightforward sentences and attempts at longer structures, for example, “I was pleased to hear that you are considering…” and the sentence beginning “When I applied…”. Meaning is generally clear, and the paragraphs are mostly formed with complete sentences. Some grammatical errors remain, particularly in verb forms and subject–verb agreement: “considering to spend” should be “considering spending,” and “The way professors conduct the lectures are different” needs a singular verb (“is”). There are also article and plural issues in “exam are mostly practicals” and “from other country.” Review agreement, articles, and countable nouns, and check longer sentences carefully. More consistently accurate complex sentences would strengthen control.

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.