Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-14
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 chart and table illustrate the percentage of one country's exports during 2015 and 2016 in five categories: petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products and textiles.
Overall, petroleum products and engineered goods had the largest proportions among all five categories in both 2015 and 2016. Gems and jewellery had the second percentage followed by agricultural products and textiles which had the smallest rates over the two years. Textiles had the largest percentage change in values over the two years while agricultural products changed much less over the same period.
Textiles had experienced a significant increase of 15.24% between 2015 and 2016. Similarly, engineered goods rose over the period with a change of 8.5%.
In contrast, gems and jewellery experienced a decline of 5.18% in the same period. Petroleum products increased slightly from a percentage of 61% in 2015 to 64% in 2016 with a change of 3%. Agricultural products, however, remained almost stable with a change of 0.81%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 6.0 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response successfully covers all parts of the task by summarising the main features of the chart and table, and making relevant comparisons across categories. The student correctly identifies the leading categories such as petroleum products and engineered goods, and highlights the most significant percentage changes, including textiles and agricultural products. For example, the student notes that 'petroleum products and engineered goods had the largest proportions' and accurately reports that 'Textiles had experienced a significant increase of 15.24%'. Although the student incorrectly refers to the chart as showing percentages rather than absolute values (or values in a given currency), the key trends, proportions, and comparative data are appropriately selected and reported, meeting the expectations for a Band 6.5 or 7.0 descriptor.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay displays a clear overall progression and logical organisation. Information is divided effectively into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and distinct body paragraphs focusing on specific categories. Cohesive devices are used adequately to guide the reader through the data, such as 'Overall,' 'In contrast,' and 'Similarly.' Paragraphing is used appropriately to group related ideas. However, referencing can occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the transitional links between sentences could be smoother to reach a higher band. Overall, the structural framework allows for easy navigation through the summarized data, aligning well with the Band 7.0 descriptors.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate and functional range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms related to data presentation and trend description, such as 'proportions,' 'significant increase,' 'decline,' and 'stable.' There are attempts to use less common vocabulary like 'engineered goods' and 'gems and jewellery.' However, there are some minor inaccuracies or awkward word choices, such as 'second percentage' instead of 'second largest proportion' and 'smallest rates' instead of 'smallest shares.' Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and these minor lexical slips do not impede communication, placing the response solidly in the Band 6.0 range.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0
The response features a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating good control over basic structures. Examples such as 'Textiles had experienced a significant increase' and 'Petroleum products increased slightly from a percentage of 61% in 2015 to 64% in 2016' show that the writer can handle tense and numerical data with relative ease. There are occasional errors, such as the unnecessary use of the past perfect 'had experienced' where the simple past is sufficient, but these errors do not impede communication. Punctuation is generally sound, supporting a clear reading experience consistent with a Band 6.5 score.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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