Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · 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 5.5)

The chart provides information of undergraduate students from Anthropology departments, and their probable job sectors after completing the degree. While the table illustrates their structure in three distinct categories after five years of working.

Overall, the pie chart shows more than half percentages of students will secure a job after accomplishing the degree, whereas the table illustrates their salary structure after the five years of experience.

The pie chart shows that majority of the students will secure a full time job. The second largest portion is 15% of the students will get a part time job. Surprisingly, a considerable number of student will remain unemployed at 12%. From the rest of the students 8% will pursue full time post grad degree, and 5% will do both part- time work and postgrad study at a time.

The table indicates what will be the salary structure of them after working 5 years. People of freelance consultant starts low within [redacted phone]9 salary range, then gradually rise to 15%, and with the [redacted phone] range their remain stable. Meanwhile, graduates in government sector starts same as previous sector, but they will see a rapid growth in the [redacted phone] salary range. Graduates in private companies earns double money in compare to the previous two sectors. They fall behind in [redacted phone]0 range at 25%, but they will get a moderate increase in [redacted phone] range.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

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 analysis of the table is slightly confusing. For example, stating that freelance consultant salaries 'gradually rise to 15%' is unclear, as 15% refers to a proportion of people, not a salary increase. Additionally, the comparison between sectors could be more precise; you mention private companies earn 'double money' but the data provided in the table is categorical, making such a specific claim difficult to verify. To improve, ensure you clearly distinguish between percentages of people and salary ranges.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized into clear paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and separate body paragraphs for the chart and the table. The progression of ideas is generally easy to follow. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical and occasionally repetitive (e.g., 'The pie chart shows...', 'The table indicates...'). Some transitions between sentences could be smoother to improve the flow. For instance, the transition between the discussion of the pie chart and the table is abrupt. Using a wider variety of linking words and better referencing would help elevate the coherence of your writing.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'undergraduate', 'sectors', 'freelance', and 'proportion'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'structure in three distinct categories' is slightly unnatural in this context, and 'earns double money in compare to' is grammatically incorrect (should be 'compared to'). There is also some repetition of basic verbs like 'shows' and 'illustrates'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more precise academic vocabulary and ensure that your collocations are accurate.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text. Examples include 'more than half percentages of students' (should be 'more than half of the students'), 'at a time' (redundant), and 'in compare to' (should be 'compared to'). Additionally, there are issues with subject-verb agreement and article usage, such as 'majority of the students' (should be 'the majority'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding your meaning, they are frequent enough to impact the overall accuracy of your writing.

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

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