Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-17

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 6.0)

The pie chart illustrates the destination of Anthropology graduates from a university after completing their undergraduate degree. The table represent the earnings of anthropologists employs after five years.

Overall, full time work category accounted for the largest proportion. While part-time work with postgraduate study represented the smallest proportion. In terms of salaries, government-sector anthropologists, despite having the lowest starting salary, recorded the highest figure after five years. Meanwhile, anthropologists working for private companies, despite having a higher starting salary, recorded the lowest figure after five years.

In terms of Anthropology graduates destination, full time work accounted for the largest proportion , at 52%. This was followed by part-time work at 15% and unemployment at 12% respectively. Meanwhile, full-time postgraduate students at 8% and not known at 8% respectively. Part-time work and postgraduate student represented the smallest proportion of 5%.

Regarding salaries, 5% of government-sector anthropologists earned between $25,000 and $49,999 after five years, while 50% earned $100,000 or more. Similarly, 5% of freelance consultants were in the lowest salary bracket, compared with 40% earning $100,000 or more. In contrast, private companies had the highest proportion in the $25,000–$49,999 bracket, at 10%, while 30% earned $100,000 or more.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You have identified the main features, such as the largest proportion of graduates in full-time work and the salary trends for different sectors. However, the analysis of the table is slightly mechanical, listing percentages without fully synthesizing the comparison between the three sectors. To reach a higher band, ensure that the 'main features' are highlighted more clearly in the overview, and try to group the data more effectively rather than listing figures for each category sequentially.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'Meanwhile', and 'In contrast' to signal transitions between ideas. However, there are some minor issues with referencing and flow; for example, the phrase 'respectively' is used incorrectly in the third paragraph, as it is applied to lists where the correlation is not clearly established. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and the progression of information is generally easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'bracket', and 'destination'. There are some minor errors in word choice and collocation, such as 'anthropologists employs' (should be 'employed') and 'graduates destination' (should be 'graduates' destinations'). While you attempt to use some less common vocabulary, the overall range is somewhat limited. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that word forms are used correctly in context.

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 subject-verb agreement issues ('The table represent') and punctuation errors (e.g., unnecessary spaces before commas). While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. You should focus on proofreading for basic grammatical accuracy, particularly with verb endings and pluralization, and aim to vary your sentence structures with more complex subordinating clauses.

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

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