Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 13 · 2026-09-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The plans below show the layout of a university’s sports centre now, and how it will look after redevelopment.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.5)

The maps compare the existing layout of a university's sports centre with its proposed plan.

Overall, the sports centre will be substantially expanded, including the removal of two outdoor courts and addition of several new ameneties. Facilities such as a 25-meter pool, seating area, gym and a changing room will be retained, while several new facilities namely a leisure pool, a sports hall, two dance studios, a sports shop and a cafe will be introduced.

At present, the sports centre contains a 25m pool at the centre, including a gym to the north, a changing room to the west, seating area to the east of the pool and the main entrance is on the southern side of the centre. The main entrance leads directly to the reception. In addition, two outdoor courts are preset, one on each side of the sports centre.

Under the proposed plans, a 25m pool, gym, seating area and a changing room will be remained unchanged, while a sports hall will be introduced to the east of the seating area. Two dance studios will be added on the eastern side of the sports hall. Two additional changing rooms will also be introduced in the southwest and southwest corners of the sports centre. A leisure pool will be built to the west side of the sports centre. Finally, a sports shop and a cafe will be constructed on either side of the entrance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively covers all parts of the prompt by summarizing the main features of the current sports centre layout and the proposed redevelopment plans. In the second paragraph, the student provides a clear and comprehensive overview of the principal changes, such as the removal of outdoor courts and the addition of new amenities like a leisure pool, sports hall, and dance studios. Specific comparisons and details are well-integrated, noting which facilities are retained and where new additions are placed, such as the sports shop and cafe by the entrance. The information is accurately reported based on the visual data, and the overview is well-developed, meeting all requirements for a Band 7.5 to 8.0 level in task achievement. The layout changes are clearly sequenced and contrasted against the original design without omitting major visual elements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organization and progression throughout. The essay is divided into sensible paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by an overview paragraph that captures the macro-level changes, a detailed description of the current layout, and finally the proposed redevelopment plan. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'At present', and 'Under the proposed plans' are used effectively to guide the reader through the spatial comparisons. Referencing is generally clear, and information flows logically from the existing structure to future alterations. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate different temporal stages of the maps, resulting in a cohesive and easy-to-follow text that meets the criteria for Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response, successfully employing less common lexical items such as 'substantially expanded', 'retained', 'redevelopment', and 'amenities'. There is good control over vocabulary related to spatial descriptions and architectural changes, such as 'leisure pool', 'sports hall', and 'constructed on either side'. While there are a couple of minor lexical slips—such as misspelling 'ameneties' instead of 'amenities' and using 'preset' instead of 'present'—these errors do not impede communication. The writer attempts less common vocabulary with general success, demonstrating a solid command of descriptive phrasing that comfortably earns a Band 7.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response exhibits a good variety of sentence structures, successfully mixing simple and complex forms to describe spatial relationships and future changes. Examples include participial phrases and subordinate clauses like 'The maps compare the existing layout...' and 'while several new facilities namely a leisure pool... will be introduced.' The majority of sentences are grammatically accurate, though there is a minor error in passive voice construction ('will be remained unchanged' instead of 'will remain unchanged') and a slight geographical confusion ('southwest and southwest corners'). Despite these occasional lapses, punctuation and grammar are well-controlled, and the structures do not hinder comprehension. This level of grammatical range and control aligns well with the Band 7.0 descriptors.

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

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