Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-19

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 6.5)

The bar graph shows the differences of a nations exports across several categories while the table illustrates the increase or decrease in popularity for exports from 2015 to 2016.

Overall, the most of the industry in the exporting business saw an increase. Most notably petroleum and engineered goods stayed on top while the gems and jewellery industry experienced a decline.

In 2015, Petroleum products was the most in demand with approximately 61 billion dollars earning in exports followed by engineered goods with about (58 billion), and gems and jewellery (42 billion). Agricultural products and textiles had the lowest figures standing at around 31 billion and 25 billion respectively.

By 2016, textiles experienced a dramatic surge of 15% even though it still remained one of the least traded items. Meanwhile, petroleum products ( 62 billion) only experienced a 3% rise while engineered good (61 billion) rose by 8.5%, followed by agriculture that gained only a 0.81% increase. Likewise, gems and jewellery ( 40.5 billion) experienced a decline in value by 5.18% while still remaining the third most traded product during those two years.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task, providing a clear overview and selecting key features from both the bar chart and the table. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the growth in petroleum and engineered goods and the decline in gems and jewellery. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are accurate; for instance, your calculation of the 2016 value for gems and jewellery (40.5 billion) is a good interpretation of the data. The summary is well-structured, and the comparisons between categories are relevant and effectively highlight the differences between the two years.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'meanwhile', 'likewise', and 'by 2016' to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed analysis. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more sophisticated to avoid a slightly mechanical feel. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dramatic surge', 'in demand', and 'figures'. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'the most of the industry' which is slightly awkward, and 'engineered good' which should be plural. You successfully use topic-specific vocabulary related to exports and economic trends. To improve, try to incorporate more precise collocations and avoid repetitive phrasing when describing increases or decreases.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'a nations exports' (missing apostrophe) and 'Petroleum products was' (subject-verb agreement error). Additionally, 'engineered good' should be 'engineered goods'. Despite these errors, the meaning is always clear, and the punctuation is generally handled well. To move to a higher band, focus on ensuring subject-verb agreement and consistent pluralisation throughout your writing.

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

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