Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-10

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 and pie charts compare the number of visitors to Ashdown Museum and their satisfaction levels in the years before and after its refurbishment.

Overall, visitor numbers rose considerably after the refurbishment, and satisfaction improved markedly, with dissatisfied visitors falling from the largest group to a small minority.

Visitor numbers climbed from 74,000 to 92,000. Before the refurbishment, 40% of visitors were dissatisfied and a further 10% were very dissatisfied, so half of respondents were unhappy. By contrast, only 15% were very satisfied, while 30% were satisfied.

The picture changed dramatically afterwards. Satisfied visitors made up 40% of respondents, and those who were very satisfied more than doubled to 35%. Conversely, dissatisfaction dropped to 15%, and very dissatisfied visitors accounted for just 55, half the pervious figure. The proportion giving no response remained unchanged at 5% in both years.

At the last, the table and pie charts ends.

Thank you.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response identifies the main trends accurately: visitor numbers increased from 74,000 to 92,000, and satisfaction improved, with dissatisfaction falling substantially. It also reports most survey figures correctly and gives a clear overview. However, one important figure is misreported: “very dissatisfied visitors accounted for just 55” should be 5%, not 55; this also makes the comparison with the previous 10% inaccurate. The closing sentence about the charts ending adds no useful information and slightly weakens the report’s focus. The main features are covered, but the inaccurate figure and limited development of the comparison prevent the account from being fully precise and complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a generally logical sequence: an introduction and overview are followed by the before-refurbishment figures and then the later results. Linking expressions such as “Overall,” “By contrast,” and “Conversely” help show the comparisons. This gives the report a coherent overall structure. However, the final sentence, “At the last, the table and pie charts ends,” is disconnected from the data and interrupts the otherwise clear progression. Some transitions also feel formulaic rather than smoothly integrated. To strengthen cohesion, remove the irrelevant ending and connect the two periods through direct comparisons, for example by pairing the fall in dissatisfaction with the rise in satisfaction.

Lexical Resource: Band 7.0

There is a good range of task-appropriate vocabulary, including “rose considerably,” “satisfaction improved markedly,” “dissatisfied,” and “respondents.” These choices allow the writer to describe trends and compare categories with reasonable precision. Some phrasing is less natural or inaccurate, however: “At the last” is not an appropriate transition here, and “the table and pie charts ends” has an unsuitable word choice and form. “The picture changed dramatically” is understandable but somewhat general for an academic report. The typo “pervious” also detracts from accuracy. More precise, consistently formal language would make the report sound more controlled; the vocabulary is varied, but occasional errors remain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of sentence forms, including complex structures such as “Before the refurbishment, 40% of visitors were dissatisfied and a further 10% were very dissatisfied, so half of respondents were unhappy.” Most of the data-reporting sentences are clear, and the grammar generally allows the reader to follow the comparisons. Some errors remain, particularly in the final sentence: “the table and pie charts ends” has subject–verb disagreement, and the sentence is not well formed. The phrase “At the last” also reflects an awkward grammatical construction. Greater care with agreement and sentence construction, especially when adding a concluding line, would improve accuracy while preserving the useful range already shown.

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