Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-08-30

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 shows the career paths of anthropology graduates, and the table provides data about the salaries of graduates after five years of jobs. Overall, the largest proportion of the students are doing a full-time job, while part-time work has the smallest share in this. Most of the graduates work at the highest salary package and least work at low pay. Firstly, the full-time graduates work at the highest proportion of 52%, as compared to part-time work with 15%. Additionally, unemployment among graduates has a minor share of 12%, while full-time postgrad and not known jointly constitute 8%, respectively. Moreover, the combination of part-time work and postgraduate study stands at its lowest point with a 5% share. Furthermore, freelancers and government employees each account for 5% in the $25,000–49,999 range, compared with 10% of private-sector workers. In the $50,000–79,999 range, the figures are 15%, 15%, and 35%, respectively. Freelancers lead in the $75,000–99,999 bracket at 40%, while government and private-sector workers account for 30% and 25%. For salaries above $100,000, government employees have the highest share at 50%, followed by private-sector workers at 40% and freelancers at 30%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task, providing a clear overview and reporting on both the pie chart and the table. You successfully identified the main features, such as the dominance of full-time employment and the salary distribution trends. However, the analysis of the table data is somewhat mechanical; you list figures sequentially rather than grouping them to highlight significant comparisons or trends. To reach a higher band, focus on synthesizing the data more effectively—for example, by contrasting the high-earning sectors with the lower-earning ones rather than just listing percentages for each bracket. The overview is present but could be more analytical.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is logically organized, with a clear progression from the pie chart to the table. You use a range of cohesive devices such as 'Additionally', 'Moreover', and 'Furthermore' to link ideas. However, the transition between the two distinct datasets is a bit abrupt. Paragraphing is also an issue; the entire response is written as one block of text. Dividing the response into two clear paragraphs—one for the pie chart and one for the table—would significantly improve the readability and structure of your report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'constitute', and 'bracket' correctly. There is some repetition of basic structures (e.g., 'account for', 'share'). To improve, try to incorporate more varied reporting verbs and nouns to describe the data, such as 'the majority of', 'a significant portion', or 'the figures for X were notably higher'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the information clearly, but it lacks the sophistication and flexibility required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. Most of your sentences are clear and easy to follow. There are a few minor errors, such as 'the largest proportion of the students are doing a full-time job' (should be 'are in full-time jobs') and 'the full-time graduates work at the highest proportion of 52%' (a slightly awkward phrasing). Despite these minor slips, your grammar is generally accurate and does not impede communication. Increasing the variety of complex sentence structures would help elevate your 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.