Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The chart and table illustrates what Anthropology graduates from one university had done with their undergraduate degree course and the salaries they were given in work after five years.

In regard to time spent on work for anthropology graduates [scribbled out] majority of them [scribbled out] do full-time work [scribbled out] and part time work. Moreover, full-time postgrad study and others who are not known are similiar in comperison.

Furthermore, the majority of destination of anthropology graduates is full-time work which is [scribbled out] 52%. In addition, to that 15% did part-time work and 12% of them were unemployed. As for [scribbled out] [scribbled out] [scribbled out] Part-time work + postgrad study the percentage remain relatively low at 5%. In terms of full time postgrad study and the rest which are not known remain relatively similar at 8%

Turning over to salaries of Anthropology postgrad after five years of work. The government sector had 50% of post grad earning $100,000+ and the lowest being at 5% earning $25,000-49,999. Freelance consultants the highest earning being at $100,000 being at 40% and for lowest earning at 5% $25,000-49,999. Private companies had 30% earning $100,000+ and had 10% earning $25,000-49,999. As for the three sectors had 15%-40% earning about $50,000-75,000.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

You have successfully identified the main features of both the chart and the table. You provided a clear overview and supported your points with relevant data from the prompt. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical, simply listing percentages rather than synthesizing the information. For instance, you could have better highlighted the contrast between the high-earning government sector and the lower-earning private sector. Additionally, the phrasing 'what Anthropology graduates... had done' is slightly inaccurate as the data reflects a snapshot of their status, not a past narrative. To improve, focus on grouping data points to show trends rather than just reporting individual figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, body paragraphs for the chart and table, and a concluding summary. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally awkward. For example, 'Turning over to salaries' is an unnatural transition. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the final sentence where 'the three sectors' is mentioned without clearly defining which ones you are referring to. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that pronouns clearly refer back to their antecedents will help the flow of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the data, such as 'majority', 'unemployed', and 'sector'. However, there are several spelling errors, such as 'illustrates' (subject-verb agreement error), 'similiar', and 'comperison'. Furthermore, the word choice is occasionally imprecise, such as 'what Anthropology graduates... had done with their undergraduate degree course'. To reach a higher band, you should aim for more precise academic collocations and ensure accurate spelling of common comparative terms. The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

Your writing contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('The chart and table illustrates') and awkward phrasing ('the majority of destination of anthropology graduates is'). Additionally, there are several instances of 'scribbled out' text, which suggests a lack of planning and affects the overall presentation. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to lower the score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that your sentences are grammatically complete will improve your accuracy.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.