Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-15

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)

As shown in the question, the chart tells us about the total earnings through export for one country in the years of 2015 and 2016. Also, the percentage change in earnings through various sectors are mentioned in the table.

It can be observed that the distribution of total export amount from various categories has remained almost identical. The only exception is in the category of Gems and Jewellery, where the year 2016 sees a drop of 5.18% from 2015. Rest of the category has shown growth, the most noticeable one being textiles with a growth rate of 15%. Engineered goods also had a considerable growth of 8.5% whereas petroleum products had a marginal growth of 3%. The only category which had almost an identical export earning during the mentioned years is agricultural products.

We can conclude by saying that statistical plots and tables helps us represent the data in a more explanatory way for the reader, than just mere words. Not only the total export earnings for various segments, but also the percentage change in growth rate for all the segments are clearly explained through the bar chart and the table. It can be seen the export earnings are largely following the trend of 2015 in 2016 as well, where some sectors are showing substantial growth and a few showing a decreasing rate.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully covers all parts of the task by reporting the main features of both the bar chart and the table. An adequate overview is provided, noting the overall similarities and trends between 2015 and 2016. Key data points are correctly selected and compared, such as the highest growth in textiles (15%) and the drop in gems and jewellery (-5.18%), alongside details for engineered goods, petroleum products, and agricultural products. However, the student includes unnecessary meta-commentary in the concluding paragraph, discussing the purpose of statistical plots rather than focusing strictly on summarising the data. Despite this minor drawback, the core requirements of Task 1 are well met, warranting a solid band score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organised with a clear introduction, body paragraph, and conclusion. Information flows reasonably well from the general overview to specific category details. Cohesive devices are used adequately to connect ideas, such as "The only exception is", "Rest of the category", and "whereas". Paragraphing is functional, separating the introduction, the main body analysis, and the concluding thoughts. However, referencing and cohesion can occasionally feel slightly mechanical, and the concluding paragraph digresses into a general discussion about charts rather than maintaining a tight focus on textual cohesion. Overall, the logical progression is clear throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate and sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating terms such as "distribution", "identical", "marginal growth", and "substantial growth". There are some minor lexical or grammatical inaccuracies in word forms, such as writing "Rest of the category has shown growth" (instead of categories) and "earnings through export" (instead of export earnings). Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary is varied enough to convey the precise data changes, and meaning is never obscured. Less common phrases like "marginal growth" and "considerable growth" show good effort toward precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a satisfactory mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including relative clauses and comparative forms. Examples of good control include "where the year 2016 sees a drop of 5.18%" and "Engineered goods also had a considerable growth of 8.5%". There are, however, some grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ("statistical plots and tables helps us") and minor prepositional or article choices. These errors do not impede communication, and the majority of sentences remain clear and comprehensible, placing the response comfortably in the band 6 range.

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