Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-16

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how instant noodles are manufactured.

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

Student answer (Band 5.5)

The flow chart shows the way in which instant noodles are manufactured. In recent times, these instant noodles are used by many youngsters because they are easy to cook and it takes minimal time to get the cooking done.

Overall, there are 8 stages in the whole noodles producing process, beginning with the storage of flour and ending with the labelling and sealing of noodles cups according to their type.

To begin, the flour used to make the noodles are transported from storage silos to industry grade mixer where it is mixed with water and oil. This mixture is then placed onto rollers which is used to flatten this mixture. Following this, the dough is stripped and converted into disc shape by various machines. Next, disc shaped dough is cooked in oil and dried using oven.

In the subsequent stage, vegetables and spices are added to dried noodles, followed by placing this mixture into cups. Finally, the noodles cups are labelled accordingly and sealed for further use.

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.5
Coherence and Cohesion6.0
Lexical Resource5.5
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.5
Overall5.5

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student successfully covers all the key stages of the instant noodle manufacturing process shown in the diagram, from the initial flour storage silos to the final labelling and sealing stage. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, correctly identifying the total number of main stages. However, the introduction contains irrelevant background information about youngsters and consumption habits that is unnecessary for an academic task 1 report. Furthermore, some minor details from the process are omitted or generalized, such as the specific role of the rollers and the addition of cups before the final sealing stage. Despite these minor omissions, the main features are adequately selected, compared, and reported, satisfying the core requirements of Task Achievement at this level.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression. The essay is divided into sensible paragraphs, starting with an introduction and overview, followed by the initial manufacturing steps, and concluding with the final packaging stages. Cohesive devices such as 'To begin', 'Following this', 'Next', and 'Finally' are used to sequence the stages of the process effectively, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing throughout the text is generally clear, helping the reader to easily follow the linear progression of the diagram.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a manufacturing process, including terms such as 'storage silos', 'industry grade mixer', 'dough sheets', 'dough strips', and 'noodles discs'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'noodles producing process' instead of 'noodle production process' and 'oven' instead of the drying unit shown in the chart. There are also minor grammatical-lexical slips, such as 'disc shape' instead of 'disc shapes'. Overall vocabulary control is sufficient to communicate the main ideas clearly, though it lacks the flexibility and precision required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses ('which is used to flatten this mixture') and temporal sequencing clauses. However, there are several grammatical errors regarding subject-verb agreement and pluralization, such as 'the flour... are transported' (should be 'is transported'), 'this mixture... is then placed onto rollers which is' (should be 'which are'), and 'disc shaped dough is cooked' (missing an article). Punctuation is generally acceptable, and while these errors persist, they rarely impede overall communication or make the text difficult to understand.

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

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