Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-11

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 given pie chart illustrates the details of employment history of anthropology students after graduation in university and the table presents description about earnings of anthropologist after 5 years' experience.

More than half of the students have full-time work and 15% of graduates were employed as part-time worker. 8% students pursued full-time post-graduation education and the graduates who were balancing both work and study was about 5% of total. Jobless students were 12% and there is no information about 8% of students after graduation.

As per the data of table, freelance consultants had the highest proportion of high earners, with 40% earning $[redacted phone]9 and another 40% receiving $[redacted phone] or more. Governor employees showed similar pattern with 50% earned at least $[redacted phone]. By contrast, only 30% of those from private companies reached this salary level. The largest group among private sector employees, 35% earned between $[redacted phone]9. Only 10% earned $[redacted phone]9 compared with 5% from both the freelance and government sectors.

overall, full-time work was the most common choice, while high salaries were more common in government and freelance jobs.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

You have successfully identified the main features of both the pie chart and the table. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data. However, the response could be improved by making more direct comparisons between the categories. For instance, when discussing the salary levels, you could have explicitly contrasted the high-earning potential of freelance consultants with the lower proportions in the private sector more effectively. Additionally, ensure that all data points are accurately transcribed; for example, the 'no information' category is 8%, which you noted correctly, but ensure the link between the two datasets is highlighted more clearly to achieve a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs for each data source, and a summary. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two distinct datasets. Cohesive devices such as 'As per the data of table', 'By contrast', and 'overall' are used to guide the reader. However, the flow between sentences could be smoother; some transitions feel slightly mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that the progression of ideas within paragraphs is more fluid, rather than just listing statistics one after another.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'illustrates', 'proportion', and 'freelance consultants' correctly. There are some minor inaccuracies, such as 'presents description about earnings' (should be 'presents data on earnings') and 'Governor employees' (should be 'Government employees'). While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning clearly, it lacks the sophistication and precision required for a higher band. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing when describing trends or data distributions.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as '15% of graduates were employed as part-time worker' (should be 'workers') and '50% earned' (should be '50% earn' or '50% were earning'). Additionally, there are some minor punctuation and article usage issues throughout the text. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and consistent tense usage when describing data.

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

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