Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-11-08
IELTS Writing Task 1 question
The chart below shows what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course. The table shows the salaries of the anthropologists in work after five years.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparison where relevant.
Student answer (Band 5.0)
The pie-chart displays what Anthropology graduates of a university are doing after finishing their undergraduate degree. In contrast, The table displays earnings of the anthropologists with 5 years of experience.
Overall, majority of the graduates are working full time roles. Nearly quarter of the total proportion is doing post grad studies and half of those are also working part time. In terms of salaries, government employees earn the most after the freelance consultants.
More than half of graduated are working as full time anthropologists and 8% are working in part time roles.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 4.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 4.0
The response identifies the chart’s subject and gives an overview, noting that full-time work is the largest destination. However, it reports very little of the information and includes important inaccuracies: “Nearly quarter” doing postgraduate study is not supported, since the two postgraduate categories total 13%, and the claim that half of these graduates also work part time misreads the 5% category. The final sentence also says 8% work part time, whereas the chart shows 15%; 8% is the figure for full-time postgraduate study and for “not known.” The salary table is barely described, beyond a broad comparison. The response is also 58 words below the required minimum. Select and accurately compare key figures from both visuals to address the task more fully.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a basic, recognisable sequence: it introduces the two visuals, gives an overall statement, and then begins to report a detail. Linking phrases such as “In contrast” and “Overall” help signal these moves. However, the progression is very limited, and the final paragraph does not develop the overview or connect clearly to the salary table. The contrast marker is also not especially apt because the visuals present complementary information rather than opposing points. Organise the response into a fuller introduction, overview, and detail paragraphs, grouping related destination figures and salary comparisons. This would make the relationships between ideas clearer and reduce the impression of disconnected statements.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the topic and make basic comparisons, with terms such as “graduates,” “earnings,” “proportion,” and “full time.” Some word choices and collocations are imprecise, however: “doing post grad studies” is informal, “working full time roles” is awkward, and “graduated” is used where the noun “graduates” is needed. “Anthropologists” may also suggest a specific occupation, although the chart describes graduates’ destinations and employment sectors. Use more precise task vocabulary, such as “undertaking postgraduate study,” “employed full time,” and “salary bands.” More varied language for proportions and comparisons would help describe the table accurately and avoid repeating broad terms like “working.”
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
The response communicates its basic meaning through mostly simple sentence structures, and the opening sentences show an attempt to contrast the two visuals. There are some noticeable grammatical and punctuation problems. In “The pie-chart … In contrast, The table,” the capitalisation after the comma is incorrect. “Overall, majority of the graduates” needs an article (“the majority”), while “More than half of graduated are working” has an incorrect noun form and an incomplete construction. The sentence beginning “Nearly quarter” also lacks an article. Sentence structures remain limited, so the response does not show much control of a wider range. Practise accurate article use and noun forms, then combine related information using controlled complex sentences.
See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.
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