Band 8.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 8.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-09-26

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 8.5)

The bar chart and table provide information regarding a country's export earnings from five distinct product categories in 2015 and 2016, alongside the percentage changes recorded over the two-year period.

Overall, it is noticeable that export revenues increased in all but one of the five categories. While petroleum products and engineered goods served as the dominant sources of export income in both years, the textile industry experienced the most rapid rate of proportional growth.

In terms of the highest-earning sectors, petroleum products ranked first, with revenue climbing marginally by 3% from around $61 billion in 2015 to approximately $63 billion in 2016. Engineered goods followed a highly similar trajectory, witnessing a more substantial growth rate of 8.5% as its export value rose from $58 billion to roughly $62 billion by the end of the period.

Regarding the remaining categories, gems and jewellery was the sole industry to record a decline, with earnings contracting by 5.18% from $43 billion down to $41 billion. Meanwhile, agricultural products remained highly stable, edgeing up by a minor 0.81% to hover just above the $30 billion mark in both years. Finally, although textiles generated the lowest overall revenue, starting at roughly $25 billion in 2015, it recorded the most striking upward surge with a 15.24% expansion, bringing its total value to over $30 billion by 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 9.0

The student fully addresses all parts of the task by providing a clear summary of the main features shown in the chart and table. An effective overview is included, capturing the overall upward trend in most categories, the dominance of petroleum products and engineered goods, and the significant proportional growth in textiles. Key data points from both the bar chart and the table are accurately reported and well-integrated, such as the 3% rise in petroleum products and the 15.24% increase in textiles. The comparisons between categories are logical and fully supported by the figures, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 9.0

The response is exceptionally well-organized, with a clear and logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the overview and detailed body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used skillfully and appropriately to separate different thematic areas, such as the highest-earning sectors and the remaining categories. Cohesive devices are employed flexibly and unobtrusively, using appropriate transitional phrases like 'In terms of the highest-earning sectors' and 'Regarding the remaining categories'. Referencing is precise and natural throughout the text.

Lexical Resource: Band 8.0

The student demonstrates a wide, flexible, and natural lexical range appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. Less common vocabulary items and functional phrases are used skillfully, such as 'dominant sources', 'proportional growth', 'trajectory', and 'contracting'. Word choices and collocations are generally accurate. There is a single minor spelling slip with 'edgeing', which should be spelled 'edging', but this is an isolated occurrence that does not detract from the overall high quality of lexical control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 8.0

The response utilizes a wide variety of complex sentence structures with a high degree of flexibility and control. The majority of sentences are completely error-free. The writer successfully employs subordinate clauses, participial phrases ('starting at roughly $25 billion'), and accurate comparative structures. There are only very occasional minor slips, such as the slight misspelling of the participle 'edgeing' instead of 'edging', but punctuation and grammatical accuracy are maintained at an exceptionally high standard throughout.

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