Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-10-01

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 chart illustrates changes in the value of a particular country's exports in various categories, including petroleum products, engineered goods, gems and jewellery, agricultural products, and textiles, between 2015 and 2016.

Overall, it is evident that the figures varied considerably across the categories, with some recording substantially higher figures, while another registered the lowest figures. Petroleum products and engineered goods recorded the highest values in the first year, whereas textiles recorded a noticeably lower figure in the final year. Meanwhile, the figure for agricultural products remained relatively similar during the given period.

Looking at the detail, in 2015, petroleum products recorded a noticeably higher figure, at just over $61 billion. Thereafter, engineered goods reported the second-highest figure, at nearly $56 billion in the first year. Moreover, textiles recorded the lowest figure,  at around $26 billion in 2015.

Looking most closely at the data, in 2016, petroleum products and engineered goods recorded considerably higher figures, at slightly above $62 billion.  Gems and jewellery represented the second-highest figure, at approximately $41 billion in the final year. However, the figures for agricultural products and textiles were virtually identical, at roughly $31 billion and $32 billion, in 2016.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

The response achieves a partial understanding of the task, meeting the basic requirements by mentioning most categories and giving some figures, but it fails to effectively present and compare the main features of the visual data. While the introduction sets up the scope, the body paragraphs miss key data trends, such as referencing incorrect values or confusing details (for instance, stating that engineered goods were nearly $56 billion in 2015 when the chart shows 57, and misreading the 2016 values where both petroleum and engineered goods are grouped inaccurately). Furthermore, the table showing percentage changes is completely omitted from the analysis. Ideas are limited and under-developed, showing a tendency to describe isolated data points rather than synthesising clear, overall comparisons. To reach a higher band, the writer must accurately extract key figures from both the bar chart and the table, and provide a fully developed overview of the main trends without factual inaccuracies.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear attempt at paragraphing, moving from an introduction to an overview and then into detailed body paragraphs. Ideas are generally grouped logically by category and year. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or repetitive, heavily relying on formulaic transition phrases such as 'Looking at the detail', 'Thereafter', and 'Looking most closely at the data'. Referencing and logical progression occasionally falter because transitions do not always create a smooth flow between sentences. To move further up the scale, the writer needs to employ a wider and more flexible range of cohesive devices naturally and unobtrusively, ensuring that paragraph transitions establish clearer relationships between the overview and the supporting details.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating general trends and categories using standard terms such as 'value', 'exports', 'categories', and 'period'. The writer attempts some less common vocabulary items like 'substantially', 'considerable', and 'virtually identical', though occasional inaccuracies in word choice and phrasing occur, such as describing a category as registering 'the lowest figures' when multiple categories are discussed loosely. Spelling and word formation are generally accurate and do not impede communication. To achieve a higher band, the writer should incorporate a wider, more flexible range of less common lexical items with greater precision in collocation, moving beyond basic descriptive adjectives to more sophisticated analytical vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 7.0

The writing exhibits good control of grammar and punctuation, comfortably sitting at a strong level. There is a healthy mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as introductory participial phrases ('Looking at the detail, in 2015...') and subordinate clauses ('...while another registered the lowest figures'). The majority of sentences are error-free, and complex structures are handled with good control, showing secure command of verb tenses and agreement. Minor slips are rare and do not impede communication at all. To reach the highest brackets, the writer would need to demonstrate even greater flexibility and a wider variety of sophisticated, error-free complex syntactic forms across the entire response.

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