Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-11
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 given pie chart gives the information about the destination of Anthropology graduates after completing their undergraduate degree from a particular university and the table gives data about their salaries after five years.
Overall, full time work accounted for the highest proportion among the university graduates, while the smallest number of students did part-time job with their postgraduate studies. Freelance consultant and government sector were the highest-paid jobs after the five years than private companies.
In term of the pie chart, over half of students went for the full-time work, while only 5% of graduates recorded for the part-time job with their postgraduate studies. Anthropology graduates who selected full-time work with their postgraduate studies are 8%, followed by the part-time work (15%). The proportion of unemployed students and unknown recorded at 12% and 8%.
According to the table, government sector accounted for the highest percentage of salary 50% ($100,000+), followed by the freelance consultant (40%). The private companies recorded at the smallest share compared to the other, only 30%, even though it started from highest proportion 10% ($25,000-49,999).
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You successfully identified the main features, such as the highest proportion of full-time work and the salary trends. However, the analysis of the table is slightly inaccurate; for instance, you state the government sector accounted for 50% of the salary, but the table actually shows 50% of graduates in that sector earn $100,000+. Additionally, the comparison of private companies is confusingly phrased. To improve, ensure you distinguish clearly between the percentage of graduates and the salary brackets provided in the table.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is logically organized with a clear introduction, an overview, and two body paragraphs. You use some cohesive devices like 'while', 'followed by', and 'according to' to link ideas. However, the progression within the second body paragraph is slightly mechanical, and some transitions between sentences could be smoother. The use of referencing is generally clear, but the connection between the salary data and the graduate destinations could be better integrated to improve the overall flow of the report.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'accounted for', and 'undergraduate degree'. There are some minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'recorded for' instead of 'recorded as' or 'accounted for the highest percentage of salary', which is imprecise. While you attempt to use topic-specific vocabulary, the phrasing is occasionally awkward, which limits the precision of your report. Expanding your range of reporting verbs and descriptors would help elevate your score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'In term of the pie chart' (should be 'In terms of'), 'did part-time job' (missing article), and 'the smallest share compared to the other' (should be 'others'). There are also issues with subject-verb agreement and preposition usage. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. Focus on proofreading for articles and pluralization.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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