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 destinations of Anthropology students in six categories 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 largest in number. However, full-time postgrad study and not known were equal in percentage. In contrast, postgraduates earned higher salaries initially from private companies, but in the end, the government sector had 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 accounted for 12%, and one-fifth worked part-time. Whereas, not known students and full-time postgrad study accounted for 8% each, respectively. Lastly, part-time work and postgrad study were the lowest overall, at about 5% only.

Whereas, freelance consultants and the government sector shared salaries of about $25,[redacted phone]0 (5%) and $75,000-74,999 (15%). However, salaries increased significantly to about 40%, which was about one hundred thousand dollars for freelance consultants, and then rose considerably to 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 to 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. However, there are significant inaccuracies in the data reporting. For instance, you state that 'not known' and 'full-time postgrad study' were 8% each, but the chart shows 8% and 5% respectively. Furthermore, the description of the salary table is confusing and mathematically incorrect; you mention '40%' and '50%' for salary brackets, which do not appear in the source data. The summary of the table fails to clearly compare the salary trends, leading to a lack of clarity in the main features. To improve, ensure data points are transcribed accurately and comparisons are based on the provided figures.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, and there is an attempt to use cohesive devices such as 'In contrast', 'In detail', and 'Whereas'. However, the use of these connectors is sometimes mechanical or inappropriate, such as starting a paragraph with 'Whereas' when no preceding clause exists to contrast with. The progression of ideas within the second paragraph is somewhat disjointed due to the inaccurate data reporting, which makes the overall flow difficult to follow. Improving the logical link between sentences and ensuring that cohesive devices are used to connect related ideas, rather than just acting as sentence starters, will improve the score.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'employment destinations', 'proportion', and 'subsequently'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward phrasing, such as 'the highest ratio of salaries' and 'not known students'. Some of the vocabulary used to describe the data is repetitive, and the attempt to describe the salary trends lacks the necessary precision required for a high band score. To improve, focus on using more precise collocations related to data description, such as 'the largest share' or 'a significant increase'.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you attempt to use complex sentences, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'full-time work was the highest proportion among all' (which should refer to the percentage, not the work itself) and 'not known students'. There are also issues with punctuation and sentence construction, particularly in the final paragraph where the description of salary trends becomes grammatically convoluted. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they are frequent enough to limit the score. Focus on subject-verb agreement and ensuring that comparisons are grammatically parallel.

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

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