Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-05
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 depicts the export earnings of a country in five different categories in 2015 and 2016. The table illustrates an alteration in percentage of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.
Overall, the export of the majority of categories increased including petroleum products, engineered products, and textiles, while gems and jewellery was the only category that dipped slightly. The textiles experienced a substantial percentage increase among all.
In 2015, the export of petroleum products and engineered goods was just over $60 billion and around $57 billion, after a minimal increase in 2016, they went up to approximately $62 billion and $61 billion respectively.
The category of agricultural products underwent a minimal increase of around 0.81 percentage points up to $31 billion. However, the textiles export encountered a significant rise from $26 billion to just over $30 billion by 15.24%.
The gems and jewellery was the only group to experience a marginal dip of around 5.18 percentage points and went up to around $31 billion.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.5 |
| Overall | 6.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5
The response covers all parts of the task by identifying the main features and making relevant comparisons. You successfully highlighted the overall trends and provided specific data points for 2015 and 2016. However, there is a factual error in the final paragraph: you state that gems and jewellery experienced a 'dip' but then say it 'went up to around $31 billion'. Looking at the chart, the value actually decreased from approximately $33 billion to $31 billion. Additionally, the use of 'percentage points' is technically incorrect when describing percentage change; you should simply refer to the percentage change figures provided in the table. Despite these inaccuracies, the main trends are clearly communicated.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs that group information by category. The progression of ideas is easy to follow. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In 2015', and 'However' to link your sentences and paragraphs effectively. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the different aspects of the data. While the flow is generally smooth, some transitions could be more varied to avoid a slightly mechanical feel, but overall, the structure is clear and supports the reader's understanding of the data.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'export earnings', 'substantial percentage increase', and 'marginal dip'. There is an attempt to use less common vocabulary, which is generally successful. However, there are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'alteration in percentage' (a change in percentage) and the confusion regarding 'percentage points' versus 'percentage change'. These errors do not impede communication, but they do limit the precision of your report. Expanding your repertoire of reporting verbs and comparative phrases would help elevate your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. Most sentences are clear, and your control of grammar is generally good. There are occasional errors, such as 'The textiles experienced a substantial percentage increase among all' (should be 'the largest increase') and 'The gems and jewellery was the only group' (should be 'The gems and jewellery category was...'). Punctuation is generally accurate. While you show the ability to use complex structures, the frequency of error-free sentences is not high enough to reach the band 8 level, but the errors present rarely cause any confusion for the reader.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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