Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-08

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The table below shows the numbers of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after it was refurbished. The charts show the result of surveys asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit, during the same two periods.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The given table describes the number people attended the Ashdown museum before and after the renovation. While the pie chart illustrates the results of surveys conducted after their tour.

Overall, an increased in visits could be observed after the refurbishment and of that a significant proportion of the attendees were more satisfied with the museum after the renovation. Surprisingly, the percentage of people giving no response remains the same, irrespective of population or renovation.

Around 74,000 people attended the museum before, however it jumped to 92,000 after the changes to the museum, indicating a rise of nearly 4%.

Of those 74,000, 40% were dissatisfied and 10% were very dissatisfied with their experience, in contrast to 30% satisfied and 15% very satisfied. The rest of the surveys yielded no responses. The views of the people changed in the positive after the refurbishment. The percentage of visitors were as satisfied with the visit as they were dissatisfied previously. An increase of more than double is observed in very satisfies section to 35%. Contrastingly, 20% were accounted for dissatisfied and very dissatisfied customers. Furthermore, 5% of both those surveys gave no answers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task, including the table and the pie charts. You have successfully identified the main trends, such as the increase in visitor numbers and the shift toward higher satisfaction levels. However, there are some inaccuracies in your data interpretation. For instance, you mention a 'rise of nearly 4%' for the visitor numbers, which is mathematically incorrect (the increase from 74,000 to 92,000 is approximately 24%). Additionally, the statement that 'the percentage of people giving no response remains the same' is incorrect, as the charts show 5% before and 5% after, but your analysis of the satisfaction categories could be more precise to ensure all data points are accurately represented.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs detailing the data. You use some cohesive devices like 'however', 'in contrast to', and 'furthermore' to link ideas. However, the flow is occasionally hindered by awkward phrasing, such as 'the views of the people changed in the positive'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly when discussing the satisfaction percentages, which makes it difficult for the reader to track which year is being compared. Improving the transition between sentences would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'refurbishment', 'proportion', and 'attendees'. However, there are several instances of imprecise word choice and collocation errors, such as 'changed in the positive' instead of 'became more positive' and 'very satisfies section' instead of 'very satisfied category'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the score. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and ensuring that word forms (e.g., adjectives vs. nouns) are used correctly in context.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'an increased in visits' (should be 'an increase'), 'number people attended' (should be 'number of people who attended'), and 'the percentage of visitors were' (should be 'was'). While these errors are noticeable, they rarely impede the reader's understanding of the data. To improve, pay closer attention to subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles and prepositions.

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

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