Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-21
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 7.5)
The pie chart illustrates the employment and study destinations of anthropology graduates from a single university after completing their degree, while the table details their salary distribution across three employment sectors after five years in the workforce.
Overall, a clear majority of graduates entered the workforce immediately, primarily in full-time roles. Furthermore, after five years of experience, professionals working in the government and freelance sectors tended to earn substantially higher salaries than those employed by private companies.
Regarding graduate destinations, just over half (52%) secured full-time employment. Making it the most common pathway by a wide margin. A further 15% worked part-time, while 5% combined part-time employment with postgraduate study and unknown outcomes accounted for 8% each, whereas 12% of the graduates were unemployed.
Turning to earnings after five years, those in the public sector and freelance consultancy were predominantly higher earners. A notable 80% of freelance consultants and government employees earned $100,00 or above. In contrast, earnings in private companies were more evenly spread across lower tiers, with only 55% earning $75,000 or more, and 35% earning between $50,000 and $74,999.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 7.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 7.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 7.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 7.0 |
| Overall | 7.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5
The response effectively addresses both the pie chart and the table. You have successfully identified the main features, such as the dominance of full-time employment and the salary disparities between sectors. The data is accurately reported, and comparisons are made where relevant, such as contrasting the private sector earnings with those of government and freelance workers. The overview is clear and provides a good summary of the trends. To reach a higher band, ensure that all data points are fully integrated; for instance, the 'unknown' and 'unemployed' categories are mentioned, but the comparison could be slightly more analytical regarding the total distribution.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two distinct data sets. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Regarding', and 'In contrast' are used effectively to guide the reader through the information. The progression of ideas is smooth, and referencing is clear throughout. The response demonstrates a high level of coherence, making it very easy to follow the information presented. No significant issues were noted in the management of cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 7.0
You demonstrate a good range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic report, using terms like 'employment destinations', 'salary distribution', and 'predominantly'. The language is precise and fits the context well. There is a minor typo in the salary figure ($100,00 instead of $100,000), but this does not impede communication. The use of 'pathway' and 'tiers' shows a good command of topic-specific lexis. To improve, try to incorporate more varied synonyms for 'earning' or 'working' to further enhance the sophistication of your writing.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0
The response displays a variety of complex structures, such as the use of participial phrases ('Making it the most common pathway...') and subordinate clauses. Most sentences are error-free, and the control over punctuation is strong. There is a minor sentence fragment issue in the third paragraph ('Making it the most common pathway by a wide margin'), which should ideally be connected to the previous sentence with a comma. However, this is a minor slip in an otherwise grammatically sound piece of writing. The range of structures is sufficient for a high band score.
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.