Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-01

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 chart illustrates the export earnings of a country in five categories in 2015 and 2016, while the table provides information about the percentage change in export earnings for each category over the same period.

Overall, petroleum products generated the highest export earnings in both years, while textiles experienced the largest increase. In contrast, gems and jewellery was the only category to experience a decline.

In 2015, approximately 61 billion export earnings came from petroleum products, while the next year, income slightly increased to nearly 63 billion. This represented a 3% increase. Engineered goods accounted for roughly 57 billion in 2015, increasing above 60 billion in 2016. This figure rose by 8.5%. Gems and jewellery constituted 43 billion at the beginning of the period, which decreased by 2 billion by 2016 that depicted 5.18% of drop.

Agricultural products experienced a minor change in their export income for both years, indicating a marginal increase of 0.81%. Textiles generated approximately 26 billion in export earnings in 2015. This figure increased to approximately 32 billion in 2016. The figure rose with 15.24%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response effectively covers all parts of the task. You have successfully identified the main features, such as the dominance of petroleum products and the contrasting performance of gems and jewellery. The inclusion of data from both the chart and the table is accurate and well-integrated. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the trends. To reach a higher band, ensure that you consistently link the data points more fluidly; for instance, when discussing agricultural products, you could have explicitly compared their performance to the other categories to strengthen the analytical aspect of your report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression of ideas. You have used paragraphing effectively to separate the overview from the detailed body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'while', and 'In 2015' are used appropriately to guide the reader. However, some transitions between sentences feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your cohesive devices further and ensure that the relationship between the data in the table and the bar chart is more seamlessly integrated within the same sentences rather than treating them as separate pieces of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information accurately, such as 'generated', 'experienced', 'accounted for', and 'marginal increase'. The terminology is appropriate for an Academic Task 1 report. There are a few minor inaccuracies, such as 'depicted 5.18% of drop' which is slightly unnatural; 'represented a 5.18% drop' would be more precise. Additionally, 'rose with 15.24%' should be 'rose by 15.24%'. These errors do not impede communication, but refining your collocations will help you achieve a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most of your sentences are clear and error-free. You have used past tense correctly to describe the data from 2015 and 2016. There are occasional minor grammatical slips, such as 'The figure rose with 15.24%' (preposition error) and '5.18% of drop' (article/preposition usage). Despite these, your control over grammar is generally strong, and the meaning is always clear. To move to a higher band, focus on ensuring absolute precision in prepositional phrases and article usage.

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

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