Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-08
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 chart illustrates that what anthropology graduates from one university did after fishing their undergraduate degree course. The table demonstrates the pays of the anthropologists in work after five years.
Overall, most of the graduates moved towards the full-time work after their graduation, and while others simply accepted occupations. The salaries of government sector anthropology was increased more than freelance and private companies.
In detail, the most common destination of anthropology graduates was full-time work which was at 52% out of 100%. The percentage of graduates was at 12% for part-time work and it was at 5% for part-time plus postgrad study. Furthermore, the proportion of full-time postgrad study was at 8% and it was at 12% for unemployed graduates. Despite this, 8% anthropology graduates was not known.
The salaries of anthropology graduates after five years work was increased. Firstly, the freelance consultants salaries had grown from 5% to 40% which was $25000 at first and then after five years it was $[redacted phone]. Secondly, the salaries of government sector had increased from 5% to 50% which was also $[redacted phone]9 before the period of five years and then it was drawn up at 15% later at 30% and then finally after five years it was reached at $[redacted phone]+ per year. Thirdly, the percentage of private companies was at 10% and then reached at 30%.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the chart and the table. However, the interpretation of the data is significantly flawed. For instance, the student misinterprets the table's percentages as salary growth figures (e.g., 'freelance consultants salaries had grown from 5% to 40%'), which is a fundamental misunderstanding of the data provided. While the main features are identified, the lack of accuracy in reporting the data prevents the response from reaching a higher band. The overview is present but lacks clarity due to the misinterpretation of the figures.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'Despite this', and 'Firstly' are used to link ideas. However, the progression of ideas is sometimes hindered by the inaccurate reporting of data, making the logical flow feel mechanical. Paragraphing is used appropriately, but the internal structure of the sentences often feels repetitive, and the referencing of data points is not always clear or accurate.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The range of vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision. There are several instances of awkward word choices, such as 'fishing' instead of 'finishing', 'pays' instead of 'salaries', and 'drawn up' to describe data trends. These errors do not impede communication significantly, but they demonstrate a limited control over academic register and collocation. The student relies on basic vocabulary to describe trends, such as 'increased' or 'reached', without demonstrating a wider range of descriptive language.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, including subject-verb agreement issues (e.g., 'salaries... was increased', '8% anthropology graduates was not known') and incorrect preposition usage. While the meaning is generally clear, these errors occur throughout the text and are noticeable. The student attempts complex structures, but they are often faulty, which limits the overall grammatical accuracy of the response.
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.