Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-09-28

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 6.5)

The pie chart illustrates the destination of Anthropology graduates from one university after completing their undergraduate degree course, while the table presents data about the salaries of the anthropologist in work after working for five years.

Overall, it is evident that the majority of the graduates joined full-time work, and least of them are now in part-time work + postgrad study. Additionally, most of the anthropologists working in the government sector earn the highest income compared to other sectors.

Looking first at the destination of the anthropology graduates, more that half of them are now engaged in full-time work, while only 5% of them are enrolled in a part-time work + postgrad study. Additionally, 15% of the graduates are part-time workers, full-time postgrad study and unknown sector stood at 8% each. Furthermore, 12% of the anthropology graduates are unemployed.

Turning to the salaries of the anthropologist after working for five years, exactly half of them earn $100,000+ in the government sector, making it the highest income in compare to other sectors. Additionally, 40% of the anthropologists are also earning $100,000 by working as a freelance consultant, while only 30% of them are generating that income level in the private companies. Interestingly, 10% of the graduates have salaries in the $25,000-49,999 income bracket, while in the government sector and in freelance consultancy, only 5% each have that level of income.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student provides a good overview of both the chart and the table, covering the main features effectively. For instance, the overview correctly highlights that full-time work is the most common destination and that the government sector has high salaries. Key figures are accurately reported, such as 52% for full-time work and 50% earning over $100,000 in the government sector. However, there is a minor mechanical error in data reporting in the third paragraph, where 'full-time postgrad study and unknown sector stood at 8% each' lacks clear grammatical integration. Despite this minor lapse, all parts of the task are addressed with relevant comparisons, placing this response comfortably at Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear four-paragraph structure. An appropriate introduction is followed by an overall summary paragraph and two body paragraphs dedicated to the chart and table respectively. Cohesive devices such as 'Looking first at', 'Additionally', and 'Turning to' are used effectively to guide the reader through the data. Paragraphing is handled well, ensuring a clear progression of ideas throughout the response. Minor issues with cohesion are very infrequent, leading to a solid Band 7.0 score for this criterion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suitable for an academic task, using terms such as 'illustrates', 'presents data', 'engaged in', and 'income bracket'. There are, however, some minor lexical and collocation errors, such as 'in compare to' instead of 'in comparison with', and the singular form 'anthropologist' used where plurals are required. Less common vocabulary items are attempted with some awareness of style, but occasional inaccuracies prevent it from reaching a higher band. Overall, the lexical range is sufficient to earn a Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writer uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including subordinate clauses and comparative forms ('while the table presents data', 'making it the highest income'). There are several grammatical errors present, notably 'more that half' (typographical error for 'more than'), 'the anthropologist' (singular instead of plural), and 'earning $100,000 by working' where preposition choice could be smoother. However, these errors do not impede communication, and the majority of simple sentences are accurate. This performance aligns well with the Band 6.5 descriptors.

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

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