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 pie chart illustrates the destination of Anthropology graduates from one university, while table presents the income of Anthropology graduates in three employment categories after experience of five years. The pie chart illustrates the destination of Anthropology graduates from one university, while table presents the income of Anthropology graduates in three employment categories after experience of five years.

Overall, it can be seen that full-time work accounted for the highest proportion, whereas part-time work and postgraduates comprised the lowest percentage. However, peoples in government sectors had highest salaries, while salaries in private companies were evenly distributed.

At first, 52% graduates were full-time workers, sharing almost half of overall percentage, and part-time workers recorded at 15%, a very small figure as compared to full-time workers. In addition, 12% graduated were unemployed and full-time post graduate and whose destination were unknown, shared the same share, which was 8%. At last, 5% graduates were part-time workers and post graduate study.

Turning to the salaries of Anthropologists, Freelance consultants had 5% graduates who had pay between $25,000-$49,000 and 14% received salary between $50,000-74,999. The salaries bracket between $75,000-99,999 and $100,000 shared the same percentage which was 40%. Similarly, Government sectors shared the same proportion as freelance consultants in salaries between $25,000-$49,000 and $50,000-74,999. 30% graduates earned $75,000-99,999 and 50% received $100,000 and more. In Private companies, most of the graduates received salary between 50,000-74,999, as compared to salary 50,000-74,999, which was 10%. Finally, 25% and 35% graduates had income between $75,000-99,999 and $100,000 and more respectively.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers all parts of the task by summarizing the pie chart and the table. You have identified key features, such as the dominance of full-time work and the salary trends in government sectors. However, the report suffers from some inaccuracies in data interpretation. For instance, you state that 5% of graduates were part-time workers and post-graduate study, which is confusing, and the description of the salary data is occasionally repetitive or unclear. To improve, ensure that comparisons are more precise and that you avoid simply listing figures. The introduction is also repetitive, as the first two sentences are identical, which detracts from the professional tone required for an academic report.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the structure. You use some cohesive devices like 'Overall', 'In addition', and 'Turning to', which provide a basic framework. However, the flow is sometimes hindered by mechanical phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. The referencing is occasionally unclear, particularly when discussing the table data, where the connection between the categories and the percentages becomes muddled. Improving the variety of linking words and ensuring that each paragraph has a clear, singular focus would enhance the overall coherence of the report.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'proportion', 'employment categories', and 'distributed'. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and minor errors, such as 'peoples' instead of 'people' and 'graduated' used as a noun instead of 'graduates'. The repetition of phrases like 'shared the same percentage' and 'received salary' limits the sophistication of your writing. To reach a higher band, focus on using more precise collocations and avoiding the repetition of basic verbs and nouns by employing synonyms and more varied descriptive language.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is generally clear, there are frequent grammatical errors, such as 'while table presents' (missing article), '52% graduates' (missing preposition), and 'whose destination were unknown' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure is often repetitive. To improve, work on the accurate use of articles, prepositions, and subject-verb agreement. Incorporating a wider variety of complex structures, such as relative clauses or passive voice, with greater accuracy would help elevate your score in this criterion.

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

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