Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-26

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 6.5)

The pie chart illustrates the destination of anthropology graduates from one university after completing their undergraduate degree course, while table provides information about the salaries of the anthropologists in their career after five years.

Overall, the highest number of students were signed up for full-time work, while the least was carried out both part time and postgraduate. In terms of highest salaries range was more than $100,000 for freelancers and government jobs, while in private sector the range was different, $50,000-74,999.

More than half of the total students were enrolled in full-time work with the highest proportion of 52%. 15% students were enrolled in part-time work opportunities, while the least portion was not only enrolled in part-time work but also continued their postgraduate study, accounted for 5%. Students pursuing full-time postgraduate degrees and those whose current status was unknown each accounted for 8% of the total student population.

Freelance consultants earning $75,000-99,000 and those earning $100,000+ each accounted for 40% of the total. 15% of freelancers earned between $50,000 and $74,999, while the smallest proportion, 5% earned between $25,000 and $49,999. The first two income ranges, $25,000-49,999 and $50,000-74,999, accounted for 5% and 15% of government employees respectively, while half of the total employees earned more than $100,000. The remaining 30% of government-sector employees fell within the $75,000-99,999 income range. The proportion of private-sector employees earning $25,000-49,999 was twice that of the other sectors. Meanwhile, the proportion in the other three income ranges - $75,000-99,000, $100,000+, and $50,000-74,999 - increased by 5% points, at 25%, 30%, and 35% respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

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, there are some minor inaccuracies in your reporting. For instance, you stated that the 'least was carried out both part time and postgraduate' (5%), but the chart shows that 'part-time work' is 15% and 'part-time work and postgraduate study' is 5%. Additionally, the description of the salary data is quite dense and occasionally difficult to follow due to the sheer volume of figures presented. To improve, focus on grouping the most significant trends rather than listing every single percentage point, which can make the analysis feel like a data dump.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs. You use cohesive devices such as 'In terms of', 'while', and 'meanwhile' to link ideas. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the flow between the salary categories in the final paragraph is a bit cluttered. The paragraphing is appropriate, but ensure that the transition between the general overview and the specific data points is smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, though the comparison in the final sentence regarding the 'other three income ranges' is slightly confusing to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information clearly. Phrases like 'highest proportion', 'accounted for', and 'fell within the... income range' are appropriate for an Academic Task 1 response. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'signed up for full-time work' (which sounds informal) and 'the least portion was not only enrolled in part-time work but also continued their postgraduate study' (which is slightly awkward). Using more precise academic collocations would elevate your score. Overall, the vocabulary is adequate and allows for clear communication of the data.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical slips, such as 'while table provides' (missing an article) and '15% students were enrolled' (should be '15% of students'). Additionally, some sentences are slightly clunky, such as 'the highest number of students were signed up for full-time work'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. You have good control over punctuation, but ensure that you check for missing articles and subject-verb agreement in future tasks.

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

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