Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-28
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 6.0)
The bar chart illustrates the data of export earnings of a country in five categories in two different eras of 2015 and 2016. The table provides data regarding the change in the proportion of these five categories in two years.
Overall, exports in four categories increased in 2016, but there is one exceptional case in which exports surpassed in 2015.
In 2015, petroleum products had 60 billion dollars, but in 2016, they increased by 3% and moved to around 62 billion dollars. Engineered goods followed the same pattern of increment, going from around 55 billion dollars in 2015 to an increase of 8.5% and jumping to 60 billion dollars in 2016. In contrast, Gems was the exceptional case, where exports declined by 5.18% and were approximately 42 billion dollars in 2015 as compared to around 40 billion dollars in 2016.
Meanwhile, there was a slight change in agriculture products, where it was around 30 billion dollars in 2015 but a minor increment of 0.81% and moved to 33 billion dollars in 2016. The highest surge by proportion was in textiles, where increment of 15.24% and exports jumped from around 20 billion dollars in 2015 to around 35 billion dollars in 2016.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response covers all key features of the data, including the initial values and the percentage changes. You have successfully identified the main trends and made relevant comparisons, such as highlighting the 'exceptional case' of Gems. However, the analysis of the data is slightly inconsistent; for instance, you state that agriculture products moved to 33 billion dollars, but the chart indicates a value closer to 30 billion. Accuracy in reporting data is crucial for a high band score. Ensure that your descriptions of the figures align precisely with the provided visual information to fully satisfy the requirements of the task.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. The progression of ideas is generally smooth, and you use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'Meanwhile', and 'followed the same pattern' to link sentences. However, the transition between the overview and the body paragraphs could be more seamless. Additionally, some referencing is slightly mechanical. To improve, ensure that your paragraphing is balanced and that cohesive devices are used to create a more sophisticated flow between the different categories of exports.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'surpassed', 'increment', and 'surge'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. For example, 'moved to' is a bit informal when describing statistical changes. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise collocations related to data reporting, such as 'experienced a marginal increase' or 'witnessed a significant decline', rather than relying on simpler phrasings.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'there is one exceptional case in which exports surpassed in 2015' (which is unclear) and 'where it was around 30 billion dollars' (where 'it' lacks a clear antecedent). Additionally, there are minor issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on sentence variety and ensuring that complex structures are grammatically sound will help improve your score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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