Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-04

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 5.5)

The pie chart illustrates the destinations of Anthropology graduates(from one university) which is divided into six sectors. The sectors represent full-time work, part-time work, part-time work and postgrad study, full-time postgrad study, unemployed, and a sector for not known students. The table shows the salaries of Anthropology graduates after five years of work with three types of employments.

Overall, there is an abundance of full-time workers which are taking a significant portion of the pie chart, whereas the other five categories cover the rest. The graduates working in the government sector are preforming astonishingly well then followed by freelance consultants.

52% of the graduates are working full-time followed by part-time which cover 15%. 8% are pursuing full-time postgrad study similar to the 5% in part-time work and postgrad study. However, the rest 20% is taken up by unemployed and not known graduates.

Moving on, 80% of the graduates are divided equally in the freelance consultants employment earning 75-99 or more than 100 thousand dollars. Half of the graduates working in the government sector have salaries above hundred thousand dollars. Lastly, the graduates in private companies are mostly earning 50-75 thousand dollars or more than hundred thousand dollars.

In conclusion, a substantial amount of graduates are working either full-time or part-time resulting in them earning outstanding salaries.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response provides a clear overview and covers the main features of both the chart and the table. You successfully identified the largest category (full-time work) and made relevant comparisons regarding salary brackets. However, the analysis of the table is slightly inaccurate; for instance, stating that '80% of the graduates are divided equally in the freelance consultants employment' is a misinterpretation of the data provided in the table. To improve, ensure that you are reading the data points precisely and avoiding generalizations that are not supported by the figures. The summary is generally well-structured, but more precise data reporting would elevate the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'Overall,' 'Moving on,' and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the flow between sentences could be smoother. For example, the transition into the table data is abrupt. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the connection between the percentages in the third paragraph and the specific categories could be more tightly linked to improve the overall flow of information.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'destinations,' 'pursuing,' and 'substantial.' There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'preforming' (should be 'performing') and 'then followed by' (which is slightly awkward phrasing). You also use 'not known' to describe the category, which is acceptable but could be more formal (e.g., 'unspecified'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey meaning, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band score. Focus on using more precise collocations when describing data trends.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, such as 'which are taking' (should be 'which take'), 'the rest 20%' (should be 'the remaining 20%'), and 'above hundred thousand' (missing an article). Additionally, 'preforming astonishingly well then followed by' contains a punctuation and structural error. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of articles when discussing numerical data.

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

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