Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-14
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 given pie chart demonstrates about the destination of anthropology graduates after finishingtheir undergraduate course. The table illustrates about the income of athropologists in work after five years.
Overall the pie chart shows that the maximum graduates did full-time work and the the minumum area is covered by part-time work along with post gradduate study. The Table gives information about their income after 5 years of work.
The pie chart demonstrates that the maximum area 52 % is covered by full-time work after it the large area of the chart is covered by part-time work that is 15%. Unemployment shows 12 % area of the pie chart and not known and full-time postgrad study shows 8% each of the chart. The minimum area is 5% which is alocated to part-time work and postgrad study.
The table describes about the salaries of the graduates after 5 years of the work and shows that the maximum percentage is shown by the government sector employees that is 50% and the minimum percentage is of freelance consultants whose salaries range from $[redacted phone]9.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers the main features of the data, but the analysis is somewhat superficial. While you correctly identify the largest and smallest categories in the pie chart, the description of the table is incomplete. You mention the government sector but fail to provide a meaningful comparison or a comprehensive overview of the salary ranges provided in the table. The overview is present but lacks a clear synthesis of the data. To improve, ensure you group information logically and provide a more detailed comparison of the salary brackets rather than just listing the highest and lowest points.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and repetitive (e.g., 'The pie chart demonstrates', 'The table describes'). There is a lack of sophisticated linking words to connect ideas between sentences or within paragraphs. While the progression of information is generally clear, the transitions between the two data sets could be smoother. Improving the variety of cohesive devices would help the flow of the essay significantly.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary used is adequate for the task but lacks variety and precision. There are several spelling errors, such as 'finishingtheir', 'athropologists', 'gradduate', and 'alocated'. These errors are noticeable but do not impede communication. You rely on basic verbs like 'shows' and 'demonstrates' repeatedly. To reach a higher band, you should incorporate more precise academic vocabulary related to data description, such as 'account for', 'represent', 'constitute', or 'fluctuate', and ensure careful proofreading to eliminate spelling mistakes.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors. For example, 'the the minumum' contains a repetition error, and 'the maximum percentage is shown by the government sector employees that is 50%' is clunky and grammatically awkward. There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on sentence construction and proofreading for subject-verb agreement will help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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