Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-07-25

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 6.5)

The pie chart illustrates the destination of Anthropology graduate from a university, while the table compares the salaries of the graduates after 5 years of work.

Overall, over half the total percentage of graduates worked full-time, while the least proportion had a part- time job and also enrolled for postgraduate study. It is worth noting that 12 graduates were unemployed . In addition, the two out of three employment sectors increased noticeably, but the Government sector had the highest increase, while private companies experienced a decrease in the proportion of staff.

In detail, 52% of graduates from Anthropology worked full-time which was the highest percentage, followed by part-time work which was done by 15% of graduates, while 12% were unemployed. Similarly, unknown and full time job plus postgraduate accounted for 8% respectively, and 5% worked part time-job plus postgraduate study students

Furthermore, the government sector increased significantly as the salaries increase from 5% when the pay was $25,000-49,999 to 50% when the salary increased to over $100,000. In contrast to private companies which decreased noticeably from 35% to 30% when the salary increased to $100,000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You successfully identify the main features, such as the highest percentage of full-time workers and the salary trends. However, the analysis of the table is slightly confusing. You describe the salary data as if it were a trend over time ('increased significantly'), whereas the table actually shows the distribution of salaries across different sectors. This misinterpretation of the data type affects the accuracy of your reporting. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between a trend over time and a comparison of categories at a single point in time.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'In addition', 'In detail', and 'In contrast' to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing in the second paragraph is occasionally unclear, such as the phrase 'unknown and full time job plus postgraduate accounted for 8% respectively'. The progression of ideas is generally clear, but the logical flow within the final paragraph is hindered by the misinterpretation of the data mentioned in the task achievement section.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'proportion', 'enrolled', and 'significantly'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'destination of Anthropology graduate' (should be plural 'graduates') and 'least proportion' (should be 'smallest proportion'). You also struggle with phrasing when describing the data, such as 'the two out of three employment sectors'. While these errors do not impede communication, they prevent the vocabulary from reaching a higher band. Focusing on more precise collocations for data description would be beneficial.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical slips throughout the text, such as 'Anthropology graduate from a university' (missing plural), 'part- time job' (unnecessary hyphen), and '5% worked part time-job plus postgraduate study students' (awkward phrasing). Punctuation is generally functional, though there are some spacing issues around commas. While you attempt complex sentences, the accuracy is inconsistent. To reach a higher band, aim for greater control over subject-verb agreement and ensure that complex structures are formed without awkward phrasing.

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