Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-12

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 compares the value of one country's exports in four different categories between 2015 and 2016. A table is also provided which shows the percetage of change in values.

Overall, petroleum products recorded the highest export value in both years, whereas textiles industry had the least exports.However, textiles showed the largest percentage change in values during the period, while agricultural products recorded the least change.

Petroleum products exports earned slightly more than 60 billion dollars in 2015, and around 63 billion in 2016 with a change in its values by 3%. Followed by engineered goods which earned a little more than 55 billion in 2015 and more than 60 billion in 2016 with a percentage growth of 8.5%. For gems and jewellery the exports in 2015 were around 43 billion, however its exports value reduced by 5.18% next year to around 40 billion.

Agricultural products export value in 2015 was around 30.5 billion and slightly more than that in 2016 with surplus of 0.81%. Textiles had the lowest exports in 2015 values at around 27 billion , meanwhile this industry recorded the highest growth percentage which is 15.24% valuing at around 31 billion in 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and highlighting the main features of the chart and table. Categories such as petroleum products and textiles are accurately contrasted in terms of export values and percentage changes. Data is selected appropriately to support the comparisons, with specific figures cited correctly from the visual prompts (e.g., petroleum at over 60 billion in 2015 and 63 billion in 2016). The response satisfies all core requirements for Task Achievement, presenting a well-developed summary without any significant omissions. Minor improvements could involve integrating the chart and table data even more seamlessly into unified comparative statements, but the overall task fulfilment comfortably reaches a Band 7.0 level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into four paragraphs, starting with a clear introduction and an overall summary before diving into specific body paragraphs detailing the categories. Cohesive devices and referencing are used adequately throughout, for instance using transitional phrases like 'Overall', 'whereas', and 'however'. Paragraphing is logical, grouping related ideas together effectively. However, there are minor mechanical transitions and slightly disjointed sentence structures in places, such as 'Followed by engineered goods which earned...', which affects the overall fluidity. Progression is generally clear, earning a solid Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate and functional range of vocabulary suitable for an Academic Task 1 response, employing terms such as 'category', 'percentage growth', 'surplus', and 'recorded'. Less common lexical items are attempted with varying degrees of success, though there is a minor spelling error ('percetage'). Word choice and collocation are generally appropriate, allowing the message to be communicated clearly without confusion. While it does not reach the flexibility required for higher bands, the vocabulary is sufficient for the task, meeting the criteria for a Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms to report the data, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures. There are several instances of good grammatical control, but also occasional errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'Textiles had the lowest exports in 2015 values at around 27 billion , meanwhile this industry recorded...' where punctuation and coordination could be tightened. Despite these minor slips, the majority of sentences are clear, and grammatical errors do not impede communication, making a Band 6.5 an appropriate score.

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

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