Band 8.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-25

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 8.0)

The bar chart compares the export earnings of a country from five different product categories in 2015 and 2016, while the table shows the percentage change in the value of exports over the same period.

Overall, petroleum products and engineered goods were the two largest sources of export revenue in both years. Most categories experienced an increase in export value, with textiles recording the highest percentage growth. In contrast, gems and jewellery was the only category to decline.

In 2015, petroleum products generated approximately $61 billion, making them the country's highest-value export. This figure rose slightly to around $63 billion in 2016, representing a 3% increase. Engineered goods ranked second, with earnings rising from about $57 billion to approximately $62 billion, an increase of 8.5%.

Gems and jewellery earned around $43 billion in 2015, but this fell to roughly $40 billion in 2016, corresponding to a 5.18% decline. Agricultural products showed almost no change, increasing marginally from about $30 billion to just over $30 billion, or 0.81%.

Although textiles had the lowest export earnings in 2015, at approximately $25 billion, they experienced the most significant growth. Their value increased to around $30 billion in 2016, reflecting a substantial rise of 15.24%. Thus, textiles showed the strongest growth despite remaining one of the country's smaller export sectors.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 8.0

The response fully addresses all parts of the task. You have successfully identified the main features, such as the dominance of petroleum and engineered goods, and the contrasting performance of textiles and gems/jewellery. The data is accurately reported, and the inclusion of both the absolute values and the percentage changes demonstrates a clear understanding of the prompt. The overview is concise and effectively highlights the key trends, providing a solid foundation for the subsequent detailed paragraphs. The comparisons between categories and years are well-integrated, meeting the requirements for a high-level summary.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. Each paragraph has a distinct focus, moving from an overview to specific category comparisons. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Although', and 'Thus' are used effectively to link sentences and ideas. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the information flows smoothly throughout the text. There is no evidence of mechanical or repetitive usage; the structure supports the reader's understanding of the data without drawing attention to itself.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

You demonstrate a wide and flexible range of vocabulary, which is used with precision. Phrases such as 'generated approximately', 'representing a 3% increase', and 'substantial rise' show a good command of academic language appropriate for a data summary. The word choices are natural and contribute to the clarity of the report. There are no significant errors in collocation or spelling, and the vocabulary is varied enough to avoid repetition while maintaining a formal tone throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 8.0

The response exhibits a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences with subordinate clauses (e.g., 'Although textiles had the lowest export earnings in 2015... they experienced the most significant growth'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and the punctuation is used correctly to manage the flow of information. There is a high level of control over tense usage and subject-verb agreement. The writing is consistently accurate, with only rare, minor slips that do not impede communication in any way.

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