Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-01

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 given graph illustrates Anthropology graduates from a university and the mode of work they prefered after completion of their degrees. It also states their earnings in different sectors such as freelance consultants, government sector and private companies after five years in work.

Overall, we can observe that the maximum graduates went into full time work, while other categories remained considerably in smaller amounts. After 5 years, the freelance consultants had the most amount of earnings compared to government and private sector.

Full-time employement graduates are 52% which is the highest proportion compared to any other category. 15% of graduates took the part-time work whilst, 12% completely stayed unemployed.

Equal proportion was recorded in not known category and full-time postgrad studies which is 8%. Significant lowest percentage was seen in part-time with postgrad studies which was only 5.

After 5 years of employment, $25,000-49,999 pa was earned by 5% of graduates in government and freelance sector, whereas private companies heled 10%. Freelance and government sector mostly some differences but $50,000-74,999 had the same proportion. Government sector had the highest amount of high income individuals which was 50% in $100,000+ category, private company remained the least with 30%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task, including both the pie chart and the table. You have successfully identified the main features, such as the highest proportion of full-time employment and the salary trends. However, the analysis of the table is slightly confusing. For instance, stating that 'Freelance and government sector mostly some differences' is vague and lacks clarity. Additionally, the interpretation of the salary data for the $100,000+ category is slightly inaccurate based on the provided visual data. To reach a higher band, ensure that comparisons are precise and that all data points are clearly linked to their respective categories without ambiguity.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized into paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs covering the two different data sets. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Overall', 'whereas', and 'whilst', which help the flow of information. However, some transitions are a bit mechanical, and the connection between sentences in the final paragraph is occasionally weak, making the progression of ideas feel slightly disjointed. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear thematic focus would enhance the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey the information, including terms like 'proportion', 'category', and 'employment'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'heled' (likely a typo for 'held') and 'maximum graduates' (should be 'most graduates' or 'the majority of graduates'). The phrase 'remained considerably in smaller amounts' is also awkward. To improve, focus on using more precise academic collocations and ensure that your word choices are natural and contextually appropriate for a formal report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'mode of work they prefered' (spelling), 'Full-time employement' (spelling), and 'Significant lowest percentage was seen' (awkward phrasing). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases. While these errors do not significantly impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on proofreading for basic spelling and ensuring subject-verb agreement in your comparative sentences.

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

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