Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-13

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the value of one country’s exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

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

Student answer (Band 8.5)

The bar chart compares the value of a country's exports in five categories in 2015 and 2016, while the table illustrates the percentage change in export earnings in 2016 compared with the previous year.

Overall, petroleum products and engineered goods were the most valuable export categories in both years. Most sectors experienced growth in export earnings between 2015 and 2016, with textiles showing the largest increase. In contrast, gems and jewellery was the only category that recorded a decline.

In detail, export earnings from petroleum products rose from approximately $60 billion in 2015 to around $63 billion in 2016, representing an increase of 3%. Similarly, engineered goods saw a notable rise from about $58 billion to just over $62 billion, which corresponded to an 8.5% increase. These two categories remained the country's leading exports throughout the period.

Gems and jewellery generated roughly $43 billion in 2015, but this figure fell to about $41 billion in 2016. According to the table, this represented a decrease of 5.18%, making it the only sector to experience a downturn.

Meanwhile, agricultural products showed only marginal growth, increasing from around $30 billion to slightly above $31 billion, a rise of 0.81%. Textiles, however, recorded the most significant improvement. Export earnings in this category climbed from approximately $26 billion in 2015 to about $31 billion in 2016, reflecting a substantial increase of 15.24%.

In conclusion, export revenues generally increased over the period, driven mainly by strong growth in textiles and engineered goods, while gems and jewellery experienced a moderate decline.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.5

The response is excellent. You have successfully identified all key features, including the leading export categories, the growth trends, and the single declining sector. The inclusion of specific data points from both the chart and the table is accurate and well-integrated. You have provided a clear overview that highlights the main trends without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. The comparison between the two years is consistent and logical, fulfilling all requirements of the prompt. The information is well-selected and effectively supports the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 8.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, a concise overview, and well-structured body paragraphs. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the data, which makes the information easy to follow. You have used a variety of cohesive devices effectively, such as 'In contrast', 'Similarly', 'Meanwhile', and 'In conclusion', which help to guide the reader through the comparison. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different categories and trends.

Lexical Resource — Band 8.0

You have demonstrated a wide and precise range of vocabulary. Phrases such as 'recorded a decline', 'notable rise', 'marginal growth', and 'substantial increase' are used accurately and naturally. The terminology is appropriate for an academic report, and there are no errors in word choice or collocation. You have successfully avoided repetition by using varied descriptors for the trends observed in the data, which contributes to the overall fluency and professional tone of the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response displays a high level of grammatical control. You have used a mix of simple and complex sentence structures with high accuracy. Punctuation is used correctly throughout, and there are no noticeable errors in tense or subject-verb agreement. The use of participial phrases, such as 'representing an increase of 3%' and 'reflecting a substantial increase of 15.24%', adds sophistication to your writing. The majority of your sentences are error-free, and the few complex structures used are handled with precision.

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