Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-17
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 after they finish their undergraduate degree course, while the table shows the type employment of the anthropologists with their salaries after five years.
Overall, the proportion of anthropologists who worked a full-time job was the largest among other destinations, whereas anthropologists who had a part-time job came second.
Anthropology graduates who worked in goverment sector were paid the heighest, while graduates who worked in private companies were relatively paid less after 5 years' work.
According to what is shown, the percentage of graduates who worked a full-time job was the largest with 52%, while graduates who worked as part-time job alongside with their postgrad studies had a proportion of 5% only. Furthermore, unemployed graduates had a proportion of 12% among all other graduates.
Anthropology graduates who worked in govermment sector and earned more than $[redacted phone] had a proportion of 50% among other graduates who worked in the same sector. On the other hand, graduates who worked in private companies with salaries between $50000-$74999 were the heighest percentage of 35% among other graduates who earned the same amount.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The student covers the main features of both the pie chart and the table, selecting key data points such as the highest destination category (full-time work at 52%) and salary distributions across employment sectors. An overview is present at the beginning of the second paragraph, although it is slightly brief and could be better integrated. Some comparisons are made, such as noting that government sector workers earned the highest salaries while private company workers earned relatively less. However, there are minor inaccuracies in reporting details: for example, the student states that graduates who worked in the government sector and earned more than $100,000 had a proportion of 50% among other graduates, which misinterprets the table (the table shows that 50% of government sector workers earned $100,000+). Despite these minor misreadings, the task is adequately addressed overall, earning a solid Band 6.0.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, starting with an introduction, followed by an overall summary, and subsequent body paragraphs detailing specific data points. Cohesive devices are used to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'According to what is shown', and 'On the other hand'. However, the progression between sentences can feel a bit mechanical, and paragraphing is slightly fragmented, with the overview separated into a very short one-sentence paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, but the overall structure lacks the seamless flow characteristic of higher bands. Therefore, a Band 6.0 is appropriate for Coherence and Cohesion.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing terms such as 'proportion', 'destination', 'undergraduate degree course', and 'unemployed'. There are, however, several lexical and spelling errors throughout the text. For instance, 'type employment' lacks a preposition, 'goverment' is misspelled, and 'heighest' is a misspelling of 'highest'. Additionally, phrases like 'relatively paid less' are awkward. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they restrict the lexical score to a Band 6.0.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as using relative clauses ('graduates who worked in government sector') and comparative structures. Control over grammar is variable. There are missing articles ('in goverment sector'), spelling issues affecting word forms, and minor prepositional errors. Complex structures often contain minor flaws. However, simple sentences are generally clear and accurate, and errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the main points. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.0 descriptors for Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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