Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-04

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 their graduation. The table compares the earnings of the anthropologists in the field after five years.

Overall, the graduates working full-time accounted for the largest proportion, whereas those doing part-time work had a relatively small percentage. Meanwhile, the figure for graduates working part-time along with postgrad study was the smallest.

The graduates working full-time accounted for the largest proportion, at 52%, whereas the figure for those working part-time was 15%. By contrast, the proportion of graduates who were unemployed was 12%. The proportion of those engaged in full-time postgrad study and those who were not known was 8% each. However, graduates pursuing full-time postgrad study had the smallest percentage, at 5%.

The graduates earning $100,000 or more in the government sector had the highest proportion, at 50%, compared with 40% of the freelance consultants and 30% of the private companies. However, the proportion of graduates making $75,000-99,999 as freelance consultants was the largest, at 40%, compared with 30% in the government sector and 25% in the private companies. Meanwhile, the proportion of graduates earning $25,000-49,999 was relatively small, ranging from 5% in the government sector to 10% in the private companies.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers all parts of the task, providing a clear overview and highlighting key data points from both the pie chart and the table. You successfully identified the main trends, such as the dominance of full-time employment and the variation in salary brackets across sectors. However, there is a minor inconsistency in your reporting: you state that 'full-time postgrad study' was 8% in one sentence and then claim it was the smallest at 5% in the next. Accuracy in data reporting is crucial for a higher band. To improve, ensure that your data points are cross-checked against the visual prompt to avoid contradictory statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs that separate the pie chart data from the table data. You use cohesive devices such as 'whereas', 'by contrast', and 'meanwhile' effectively to link ideas and contrast information. The progression of ideas is smooth, and the paragraphing is appropriate for the task. To reach a higher band, you could vary your cohesive devices further, as some transitions feel slightly repetitive. Overall, the information is presented in a coherent manner that is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to convey information with precision, using terms like 'proportion', 'engaged in', and 'pursuing'. The language is generally appropriate for an academic report. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'the figure for graduates working part-time along with postgrad study', which is slightly clunky. To improve, focus on using more sophisticated collocations and avoiding repetitive phrasing. Expanding your repertoire of synonyms for 'percentage' or 'proportion' would also enhance the lexical variety of your writing.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response shows a good control of grammatical structures, with a mix of simple and complex sentences. You use comparative structures effectively, such as 'compared with 40% of the freelance consultants'. While there are very few errors, the sentence structures are somewhat uniform. To achieve a higher band, try to incorporate a wider variety of complex sentence forms, such as using participle clauses or more varied subordinate clauses. The punctuation is generally accurate, and the minor errors present do not impede communication or cause confusion for the reader.

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

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