Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-18

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 data depicts the information about what jobs Anthropology graduates from a university did after finishing degree, and the earnings of anthropologists after five years.

Overall, a big number of anthropologists are doing full time work. The employement rate of anthropologists is very high and most of them are employed.

The percentage of anthropologists doing full time work is 52%. Meanwhile, the anthropologists who were doing part time work was at the second number at 15%. 5% of anthropologists weredoing part time work with postgrad study. However, 8% of them were doing full time post grad study. 12% of the total anthropologsits who graduated from university were unemployed while the job remaining 8% graduates is unknown.

There are three types employment in which an anthropologist would work. after 5 years of work, the income of 5% of anthropologists who work as a freelance consultant is between 25k to almost 50k dollars. whie the income of 55% of anthropologists is between 50k to almost 100k dollars. Meanwhile the anthropologists, who earn more than 100k dollars are 40%. The percentage of anthropologits who work in government sector and earn between 25k to 49,999 dollars is same as the one who works as a freelance consultant. 45% of anthropologists earn between 50k to 99,999 dollars. Meanwhile, the anthropologists who work in government sector and earn more than 100k,is the highest percentage of all whch is 50%. 70 of the anthropologists who work in private companies earn between 25k to 99,999 dollars. While the remaining 30% earns more than 100k dollars.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The student covers both parts of the prompt, reporting the destinations of Anthropology graduates and their salaries after five years. An overview is attempted in the second paragraph, though it tends to generalise rather than clearly summarise the main trends. Key data points are generally reported accurately, such as the 52% in full-time work and the breakdown of salaries. However, there are some minor calculation errors or awkward groupings in the salary section (e.g., stating '55% of anthropologists is between 50k to almost 100k dollars' when adding 15% and 40% for freelancers). The response meets the core requirements of Task 1 by selecting and reporting the main features and making comparisons, but the mechanical listing of figures holds it back from a higher band.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5

The response is arranged into four paragraphs, following a logical progression from introduction to overview, graduate destinations, and finally salary breakdowns. Cohesive devices are used, such as 'Meanwhile', 'However', and 'There are three types', though some transitions feel a bit repetitive or mechanical. Referencing is mostly clear, although the links between sentences in the final paragraph become slightly convoluted (e.g., 'The percentage of anthropologits who work in government sector... is same as the one who works as a freelance consultant'). Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main charts, satisfying the requirements for logical organization.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, incorporating terms such as 'anthropologists', 'undergraduate degree course', 'unemployed', and 'freelance consultants'. However, there are several lexical errors and spelling mistakes throughout the text, including 'employement', 'anthropologsits', 'whie', and 'whch'. Attempts to use less common vocabulary are sometimes inaccurate or awkward. While communication is not impeded by these vocabulary slips, the frequency of spelling and word-form errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and subordinate structures (e.g., 'Meanwhile, the anthropologists who were doing part time work was at the second number...'). There are several grammatical and punctuation errors present, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('the anthropologists who were... was', 'the job remaining 8% graduates is unknown', '30% earns') and missing punctuation or capitalization. Nevertheless, these errors rarely impede communication and the meaning remains clear throughout the response.

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

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