Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 11 · 2026-10-20

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 pie chart illutrates data on visitors to Ashdown Museum before and after it was refurbished. The number of visitors to the museum during the year before refurbishment was 74,000 which significantly rose to 92,000 after it was refurbished, which shows quite a positive impact.

The pie chart before refurbishment points out the majority percentage of visitors were dissatisfied at total 70% combining dissatisfied 40% and very dissatisfied 30%, and the visitors who were satisfied were only 15%

Meanwhile after the refurbishment which drastically changed to 75% people who were very positive, with 35% very satisfied and 40% satisfied.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the overall rise in attendance, from 74,000 to 92,000, and the broad shift from dissatisfaction before refurbishment to satisfaction afterwards. However, the response covers the survey data only partially and contains important inaccuracies: before refurbishment, 40% were dissatisfied and 10% very dissatisfied, not 30% very dissatisfied; the satisfied group was 30%, not 15%. After refurbishment, 35% were very satisfied and 40% satisfied, so 75% were satisfied or very satisfied, rather than “very positive” as a distinct category. The unchanged 5% with no response and the fall in dissatisfaction are also omitted. At 99 words, the response is below the required 150, leaving the key features underdeveloped. Include a clear overview and accurately compare the main categories.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a basic sequence: it first reports visitor numbers, then describes satisfaction before and after refurbishment. “Meanwhile” signals the move to the second period, and the information is generally possible to follow. However, there is no clear overview paragraph, and the short, uneven presentation does not develop a complete comparison. The second sentence is overloaded, combining the visitor total with an interpretation of its impact, while the satisfaction figures are presented in separate fragments of discussion rather than a balanced comparison. Use a clear structure—introduction, overview, then details for both periods—and connect related figures with precise comparisons such as the rise in satisfaction and fall in dissatisfaction.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant task vocabulary, including “refurbishment,” “dissatisfied,” “satisfied,” and “significantly rose,” so the topic is clear. However, the range is limited and several choices are inaccurate or awkward. “The pie chart illustrates data on visitors” misidentifies what the chart shows, since the table gives visitor totals and the charts show satisfaction. “Points out the majority percentage” and “very positive” are imprecise, while “at total 70% combining” is not a natural way to report a combined share. There is also a spelling error in “illutrates.” Use accurate terms such as “survey results,” “accounted for,” and “combined proportion,” and distinguish “satisfied or very satisfied” from “very satisfied” alone.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt some complex sentence forms, particularly the opening sentence and the clause beginning “which shows,” and the main message can usually be understood. However, control is uneven, especially in the longer sentences. In “The number of visitors … was 74,000 which significantly rose to 92,000,” the relative clause is attached awkwardly: the number rose, not the earlier figure. “The pie chart before refurbishment points out the majority percentage of visitors were dissatisfied” also lacks a clear grammatical link between “points out” and the reported result. The sentence beginning “Meanwhile after the refurbishment” is incomplete in structure, with no clear main clause before “which drastically changed.” Build shorter, complete sentences and check clause connections, punctuation, and agreement.

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