Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-09-22

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 6.5)

The table illustrates the total number of visitors to Ashdown Museum during the year before and the year after its infrastructural changes, while the pie charts indicate the outcomes of surveys of visitor satisfaction, during the same two periods.

Overall, the figure for the total number of visitors to Ashdown Museum increased after refurbishment of the museum. However, the results of visitor satisfaction improved after refurbishment and dissatisfaction of visitors decreased over the same period.

The total number of visitors before refurbishment were 74,000 and this figure surged to 92,000 after the infrastructural changes in the museum.

Before refurbishment of the museum, the percentage accounted for very dissatisfied visitors was 10% and for dissatisfied 40%. Additionally, 30% of visitors were satisfied with the museum and 15% were very satisfied visitors.

Regarding the museum after refurbishment, the percentage of very dissatisfied (5%) and dissatisfied (15%) visitors decreased dramatically. Similarly, the figure for satisfied (40%) and very satisfied (35%) visitors experienced an impressive rally after refurbishment. Finally, the proportion of non-respondent visitors remained unchanged before and after refurbishment at approximately 5%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student has successfully addressed all parts of the task by reporting the main features of both the table and the satisfaction charts. An appropriate overview is provided, highlighting the general increase in visitor numbers and the improvement in overall satisfaction. Key data points are selected and accurately cited, such as the visitor numbers rising from 74,000 to 92,000, and the shifts in satisfaction categories before and after the refurbishment. The comparisons are clear and relevant, meeting all requirements of the Task Achievement criterion at a high level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response has a clear logical organization and progression throughout. The introduction successfully paraphrases the prompt, followed by a general overview paragraph, and subsequent body paragraphs that break down the table and survey data logically. Cohesive devices such as 'while', 'however', 'additionally', and 'finally' are used effectively to connect ideas, though paragraphing could be slightly more integrated to ensure seamless transitions between the quantitative table data and the qualitative survey results.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary with some flexibility and precision, employing less common items such as 'infrastructural changes', 'surged', 'dramatically', and 'proportion'. Word choice is generally appropriate, though there are minor awkward collocations or phrasing, such as 'experienced an impressive rally' when referring to survey percentages. However, spelling is accurate and the vocabulary successfully conveys the intended meaning without impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response features a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and participial phrases successfully. There is generally good control of grammar and punctuation. A minor subject-verb agreement error occurs in the sentence 'The total number of visitors before refurbishment were 74,000', where 'were' should be 'was' due to the singular head noun 'number'. Despite this and a few other minor slips, the majority of sentences are error-free and communication is never impeded.

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