Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-12

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 chart and the table provided depicts what the anthropology department graduates of a single university did after completing the undergraduate degree program and their salaries after 5 years of work.

According to the given information, the largest of anthropologist did a full time work which accounts for 52%. Around 15% worked part time and nearly 12% stayed unemployed. Apart from this full time postgraduate study were followed by 8% and part time work with study were done by 5%. Also there were 8% of graduates who data were not available after graduation.

The salaries that those graduates were provided after the 5 years of dedicated work differed in different sectors. For instance, freelance consultants were given starting salary from $25k to 49,999 which accounts for 5% and reached it maximum salary of $[redacted phone]+ to 40% of the workers. The highest paid salary to the workers was in government sector where it inflated from 5% workers getting the starting salary to 50% being paid the highest salary of $[redacted phone]+. In contrast the private companies had their highest paid salary to 35% of workers in the range of $50k-$74,999 and only 55% workers were paid above this with differing range.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers the main features of both the chart and the table, selecting key data points such as the 52% in full-time work and outlining the salary distributions across freelance, government, and private sectors. Comparisons are attempted, particularly when contrasting the salary brackets between different sectors. However, there are some inaccuracies in data reporting and minor generalisations. For instance, the phrase 'the largest of anthropologist' contains a grammatical error, and the interpretation of the private sector salary data in the conclusion ('only 55% workers were paid above this') misreads the chart's cumulative percentages. Nevertheless, all parts of the prompt are addressed, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression, moving logically from an introduction to the post-graduation activities chart, and subsequently to the salary table. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two distinct visual prompts. Cohesive devices are generally present, with phrases like 'According to the given information', 'Apart from this', and 'In contrast' helping to guide the reader through the data. However, referencing and cohesion occasionally feel mechanical or slightly awkward, such as 'where it inflated from 5% workers getting the starting salary', which disrupts the natural flow. Paragraph transitions are functional, but overall cohesion lacks the flexibility required for a Band 7.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe percentages, categories, and financial figures effectively. Words such as 'undergraduate', 'freelance', 'consultants', and 'government sector' demonstrate a relevant lexical field. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation inaccuracies throughout the text, such as 'the largest of anthropologist' (instead of 'the largest proportion of anthropologists'), 'full time postgraduate study were followed' (subject-verb agreement and lexical choice), and 'reached it maximum salary'. Less common lexical items are attempted but lack precision, placing this response firmly in the Band 6.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and comparative structures. There are several instances of good grammatical control, particularly in describing statistical proportions. However, frequent grammatical errors persist, including subject-verb agreement issues ('8% of graduates who data were not available'), missing articles ('in government sector'), and pronoun errors ('reached it maximum salary'). While these errors do not impede overall communication—the reader can still follow the intended meaning—they prevent the response from achieving a higher band, as error-free sentences are not in the majority.

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

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