Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · 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 6.0)

The pie chart compares the employment destination of Anthropology students in six distinct categories, who worked after completing their university degree course from a university, while the table illustrates the salaries of graduates in three types of employment after 5 years of work.

Overall, full-time work was the highest proportion among all, and part-time work was the second-ranked in number. However, full-time postgrad study and not known were equivalent in percentage. In contrast, salaries of postgraduates earned more initially from private companies, but in the last, government sector made the highest ratio of salaries for workers after 5 years of work experience.

In detail, 52% of graduates worked full-time, which is about half of the proportion, while unemployed students consisted of 12%, and one-fifth made for part-time work. Whereas, not known students and full-time postgrad study accounted for 8% each, respectively. Lastly, part-time work and postgrad study were the lowest in all for about 5% only.

Whereas, freelance consultants and government sector shared salaries each to about $25,[redacted phone]0 (5%) and $75,000-74,999 (15%). However, salaries were significantly increased to about 40%, which was about hundred-thousand dollars in freelance consultants, and considerably rose to first 30%, and then 50%. While private firms started with the lowest, but then subsequently increased first to 35%, then dropped to 25%, before rising again at 30%.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task, including the pie chart and the table. You have successfully identified the main features, such as the dominance of full-time work and the salary trends. However, the analysis of the table is problematic. The data interpretation in the third and fourth paragraphs is confusing and contains significant inaccuracies regarding the figures provided in the prompt. For instance, the description of salary ranges and percentages is difficult to follow and does not accurately reflect the visual data. To improve, ensure that your data reporting is precise and that you clearly distinguish between the different categories of employment and salary brackets.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'In contrast', 'In detail', and 'Whereas' to link ideas. However, the flow within the paragraphs is sometimes hindered by awkward phrasing and unclear referencing. For example, the transition between the pie chart data and the table data is a bit abrupt. The use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical, and the logical progression of the argument is occasionally obscured by the confusing presentation of the numerical data. Improving the clarity of your sentences will help the overall coherence.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'employment destination', 'proportion', and 'subsequently'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'made the highest ratio of salaries' and 'lowest in all for about 5%'. These errors occasionally make the meaning slightly unclear. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise academic vocabulary and ensuring that your collocations are natural. You have a sufficient range to communicate the main points, but the lack of precision in describing the data limits the effectiveness of your lexical usage.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, which is appropriate for this task. However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly with prepositions, articles, and sentence construction. For example, 'salaries of postgraduates earned more' is grammatically incorrect as salaries do not earn money. Additionally, phrases like 'in the last, government sector made the highest ratio' are awkward. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to be noticeable. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and the correct use of comparative structures would significantly improve your accuracy.

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

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