Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-03
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 illustrates the proportion of destinations of Anthropology graduates of a university after finishing their degree course while tables shows the percentage of their salaries after five years.
The majority graduates are employed fulltime and mostly had higher salaries.
The pie chart presents that 52% of Anthropology graduates received full-time jobs after graduation. Fifteen percent graduates employed part-time while 5% continue postgraduation in addition to their part-time work. Eight % students pursued for postgraduation studies. The percentage of unemployed graduates stood at 12% while data of 8% graduates remained unknown.
The tables presents the data of salary ranges along with type of employment of Anthropology graduates, five year after the graduation.
The government sector had 50% of graduates with salaries more than 100
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, which significantly impacts the task achievement. While you have attempted to report on the pie chart, the description of the table is incomplete and cuts off abruptly. You have identified some main features, such as the 52% full-time employment rate, but the lack of completion means you have not fully addressed all parts of the task. To improve, ensure you provide a comprehensive overview of all data sets provided in the prompt and maintain a consistent level of detail throughout the report.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into short paragraphs, which is a good start. However, the progression of ideas is hindered by the incomplete nature of the text. Cohesive devices are used in a somewhat mechanical way, such as 'The pie chart presents' and 'The tables presents'. The transition between the pie chart analysis and the table analysis is abrupt. To improve, use a wider variety of linking words to connect your ideas more fluidly and ensure that each paragraph has a clear, logical focus that contributes to the overall summary.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, but it lacks the precision and variety required for a higher band. You rely on basic reporting verbs like 'presents' and 'illustrates'. There are also some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'Eight % students pursued for postgraduation studies' (the 'for' is unnecessary). To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more sophisticated vocabulary related to data description, such as 'account for', 'constitute', or 'a significant proportion'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
There are several grammatical errors that affect the clarity of your writing. For example, 'The majority graduates' should be 'The majority of graduates', and 'The tables presents' contains a subject-verb agreement error. You have used some simple sentence structures, but there is a lack of complex sentence variety. To improve, focus on subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentence structures are varied. Proofreading for small errors like missing articles or incorrect prepositions will also help improve your accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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