Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-25
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 pie chart illustrate what Anthropology graduates from one university did after completing their undergraduate degree course. However the table chart shows the income of the anthropologists in work after five years.
Overall, the highest share recorded from one university which is full-time work. the second largest share was who students Part-time work, while unemployed graduates students finishing their degree. On the contrary table chart demonstrate salaries of Anthropology graduates freelance consultants and government sector paid highest income.
To begin with, Full-time work category experienced highest share of Anthropology graduates at 52%. The second biggest data is Part-time work students at 15%. However, Unemployed students graduates of Anthropology degree at 12%. Not known and Part-time work as well as postgraduate study students had the lowest share of Anthropology degrees at 8% and 5%.
Turning to the next details, freelance consultants after finishing study and 5 years later 5% people they get $20,000-49,999, while private companies 10% people work for the same salary. Freelance consultants and Government sector get $100,000 plus salary around 40% and 50% people.
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 addresses the task by summarizing the main features of the charts. You have identified the key categories and salary brackets. However, the analysis is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear, cohesive overview. While you mention the highest shares, the comparison between the two charts is not fully developed. For instance, you list the percentages for the pie chart but do not effectively synthesize the data to highlight the relationship between employment status and salary outcomes. To improve, ensure that your overview provides a more holistic summary of the trends rather than just listing data points. Some figures, such as the 'not known' category, are mentioned but not contextualized effectively.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. However, the use of cohesive devices is often mechanical or inaccurate. For example, the transition 'On the contrary' is used incorrectly to introduce the table data, as there is no contradiction between the two charts. Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or lack proper logical flow, such as 'the second largest share was who students Part-time work'. The referencing is sometimes unclear, making it difficult to track the subject matter. Improving the variety and accuracy of linking words will significantly enhance the logical progression of your writing.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it is repetitive and lacks precision. You rely heavily on basic terms like 'share', 'data', and 'students'. There are also issues with word choice and collocation, such as 'table chart' (which is redundant) and 'the highest share recorded from one university which is full-time work'. The phrasing '5% people they get' is informal and grammatically awkward. To reach a higher band, you should aim to use more academic collocations and varied synonyms to describe trends, such as 'proportion', 'segment', or 'remuneration', and avoid repetitive sentence structures.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Common issues include missing articles ('the' before 'highest share'), incorrect verb forms ('The pie chart illustrate'), and awkward sentence construction ('Unemployed students graduates of Anthropology degree at 12%'). Punctuation is also inconsistent, particularly with capitalization and comma usage. While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and consistent article usage would be a great starting point for improvement.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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