Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-16
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 5.0)
The pie chart provides information about what Anthropology graduates did after finishing their undergraduate degree course, while the table illustrates the salary received by Anthropology graduates after five years of working.
Overall, most of the students work full time while finishing their undergraduate course. In terms of salaries, freelance consultants and government sectors earned more than private companies.
Regarding graduates destinations, 52% accounted to entered full-time work while pursuing their undergraduate course. Part-time work students constituted of 15%. Followed by unemployed students with 12%. Both full-time postgrad students and unknown group accounted for 8%. 5% for part-time work combined with postgrad study constituted the least number with only 5%.
In terms of salaries,
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0
The response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, stopping abruptly at only 113 words and cutting off mid-sentence, which heavily impacts the task completion. In terms of content, the student attempts to present an overview and report details from both the chart and the table. However, there are significant comprehension errors in the data reporting. For instance, the student states that graduates were 'finishing their undergraduate course' while doing full-time work, and misinterprets the percentage phrasing ('52% accounted to entered full-time work while pursuing their undergraduate course'). Furthermore, the table data is abandoned entirely due to the unfinished response. According to the band descriptors, this falls under Band 5 because the task is only partially addressed due to severe under-length and incomplete reporting.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0
The response is organized with a clear introduction and separate paragraphs for the overview and body details. However, the overall progression breaks down completely as the essay cuts off mid-sentence in the final paragraph ('In terms of salaries,'). Cohesive devices are attempted (e.g., 'Overall', 'In terms of', 'Regarding'), but referencing and grammar within these links are sometimes awkward or inaccurate, such as 'accounting to entered' or 'constituted of'. Paragraphing is initiated properly, but the lack of a completed body section for the table leaves the organizational structure incomplete. This aligns with a Band 5 descriptor where there is some organization but an unclear overall progression and mechanical or incomplete cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary used is generally adequate for the topic, incorporating terms such as 'anthropology graduates', 'undergraduate degree course', 'freelance consultants', and 'government sectors'. However, there are frequent word-formation and collocation errors that detract from precision, such as 'accounted to entered' instead of 'accounted for' or 'entered', and 'graduates destinations' missing an apostrophe. Less common vocabulary is attempted but handled inaccurately, limiting the range and flexibility. According to the criteria, this demonstrates a limited but minimally adequate range with noticeable errors that cause some difficulty for the reader, fitting a Band 5 score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using 'while' clauses and prepositional phrases. However, grammatical control is weak. There are noticeable errors in verb forms and voice, such as '52% accounted to entered full-time work' and 'Part-time work students constituted of 15%'. Additionally, the response is incomplete, ending abruptly. While some simple structures are accurate, the frequency of grammatical errors in complex attempts and the unfinished nature of the text prevent it from reaching a higher band. This matches the Band 5 descriptor, which features a limited range of structures and frequent errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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